Chasing The Sun
by pandaleopard333
Summary: Rukia is living a lie. Showing her true nature could mean death for her at the hands of Ichigo himself.. "Live the lie or die in truth?"
1. Chapter 1

Briefly they locked eyes.

They knew they would end up separating; the chance of them meeting again was almost zero to none.

Passionately, they gave each other a brief kiss and pulled away.

Amber suns and violet moons graced one another.

The wind was whipping wildly around them, carrying the voices of the people who were in pursuit of the two, wanting to capture them. The dedication to find the pair was prominent though the crowed of people would not be able to see them as they could from a distance.

They gave each other a knowing glance.

His trademark scowl turned into a smirk. A lovely smile spread upon her lips.

They turned away from each other, backs touching.

"Someday," the two whispered.

And they took off in their separate directions, running from the hoard that attempted to follow, smiles still painted onto their faces.

_'Someday.'_

* * *

Chapter One

The sky was colored as the sun began to set.

"Miss Kuchiki."

No one saw it the way I could. They would not get the same image as I did, the only one who could see its true beauty and elegance.

"Miss Kuchiki."

The sun was dancing as it set; trying to coerce the moon into coming out and shining it's bright light to the world, asking it to the dance floor.

"Miss Kuchiki."

And it was not just because I could see colors that no human could see. But no one could know that. No one could know my secret.

"Your brother requests your presence, Miss Kuchiki."

Not even him.

I nodded to the servant, standing up from the grass and gazed one last time at the sun. The light danced off the meadow, touching every flower, tree, bush, blade of grass... Peaceful. Free. What I wanted to be. I turned my back on what I wanted and walked forward to what I wanted to shed.

My head was held high as I walked back home with the servant in tow. I tried my best to have my Kuchiki face on, trying to mask the desire I had for freedom. My face was composed by the time I entered the glorious Kuchiki house. Like a palace, it was grand inside, a huge chandelier hung at the entrance for all new comers to see.

"I'll notify your brother that you are waiting," the servant murmured and left with bow.

I sighed and walked into the living room. The T.V. was in the middle, the news blaring onto the screen.

The female newscaster turned her attention to a different camera angle and spoke.

"Police today found ashes in another city surrounded by the same pool of blood. This is the fifth reported account so far this year. And the police have no way of identifying the victims which led many to wonder what is the connection and who are the ones responsible..."

It was obvious to what was going on. At least, to me it was. The T.V. reports only thought of it as a mass murder. There was blood everywhere when the police would show up, as reported. But the law would never find the bodies, also as reported. Their bodies were gone once they were killed. It was how his kind managed to survive if one of them was to ever fall.

They had to be injured; losing the blood that could no longer course through their veins was how an opponent was weakened. Then they could light the wound on fire, the blood that remained in the opponent igniting like gasoline. If they lost all the blood that was lingering, there was no chance for that person to create another of their kind. All that could be left was unidentifiable ashes.

So many had been killed around Tokyo. And every time that occurred, I was located close enough to each of the murders. Too close for comfort or peace of mind. _'Which was why you've become a homebody,'_ I told myself. I had no peace of mind, no solid way of staying safe. Even here I was at risk of being caught and having the same thing done to me.

Peace of mind was fleeting fast.

"Miss Kuchiki, Kuchiki-sama is ready to see you."

I nodded to the servant, walking towards my brothers' office.

But I would out live all of them. I would have my freedom. Away from this house, these rules, this life. To be the Rukia I was - _am_.

Hesitantly, I knocked on my brother's door.

"Enter," his voice rang.

I took in a deep breath, bracing myself, then turned the knob and entered.

My brother sat tall and regal in his office chair, his eyes focused on some of the papers that lay on his cherry wood desk.

"You wanted to see me, Nii-sama?" I asked.

"Take a seat"

I tried my best to sit without stumbling in any form in front of him. I wanted him to think that I was contributing to the Kuchiki name, not detracting. There was already enough criticism on me as is.

Silence was resonating in the room. I tried to keep my head low, anxiety fluttering in my stomach. The stillness in the room grew, not letting up. Silence grew louder and louder. It pressed onto my skin, adding to the pressure of the butterflies until-

"We are moving."

I kept my head bowed slightly, looking in the direction of my brother's glacier gray gaze. His face was emotionless as always, hair falling onto his face. There were no signs of him kidding, as it was not a part of my brother's nature.

"T-to where, Nii-sama?" I politely asked.

"Don't stutter," he chided.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"Karakura," Kuchiki Byakuya replied emotionlessly. "The servants have finished packing everything except for some of your items, of which they are in the process of doing so."

"When will we be departing?"

"Tomorrow."

I felt my body freeze momentarily, taken back by his answer. _'So soon?'_ We had barely settled down here, this being our residence for less than a month already.

"Is there a problem?"

I shook my head furiously, the short locks from my cropped hair brushing my face gently. "No," I responded. "Just surprised."

He remained silent, gray momentarily flashing at his me. "You may retire now."

I bowed to my brother and rose quickly, trying to contain myself from running to my room to escape the pressure. In my desperation to run, I almost forgot to slow my running to a decent speed.

There was two of the servants in my room, taping the box flaps together. They stopped momentarily and bowed to me, then resumed working. I sighed at the sight of them and sat on the floor, my back presses to the edge of my bed.

This would be the fifth time we moved this year. And again we would have to start at square one. Sometimes I just could not stand this constant moving around. But there was nothing I could do. All of it was because of Nii-sama's job and status.

Every time I tried to break free, I would end up back at square one. Something would end up happening and I would be back under my brother's care once again. Nothing went according to plan - at least not _my_ plan. Women in the Kuchiki clan were not allowed to leave until they were married, something that was not in my plans or the immediate future.

And I had a long future ahead of me.

"So that is why we are in the process of moving again?"

I tilted my head slightly. The assistants probably thought that I was asleep by now, having my eyes closed in thought for the last couple of minutes.

"Yes," the other whispered in response. "It seems that Kuchiki-sama has decided to pick that up as part of his recreational activities."

"But what an odd activity."

"Still, he does it to protect society; it elevates his status."

_'And in turn the Kuchiki clan.'_ Everything for the clan.

"Still, it is the only explanation for Kuchiki-sama's growing collection of weapons."

I heard one of the attendants leave and opened my eyes. My gaze focused on the other attendant, soon to be victim.

"What recreational activity?"

The attendant jumped a little at the sound of my voice. She gave a quick, deep bow. "Forgive me, Miss Kuchiki. I thought you were asleep."

I shook my head. "It's fine." I gave her one more glance over. She looked caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "So what is my Nii-sama's new pursuit?"

"Well, Miss Kuchiki, Kuchiki-sama has decided to add some physical pursuits to the ones he already has now."

"Physical pursuits?" I asked.

The attendant nodded.

"And it is?" At this rate, I was never going to get an answer.

The attendant's face flashed with nerves. It looked as if she had told me too much.

"K-Kuchiki-sama has decided to take up the pursuit of-"

"You may leave."

The attendant and I looked at my brother standing in my door.

"Hai, Kuchiki-sama," the attendant said and bowed, running out of the room.

I looked at my brother with a coat of fear in my eyes. Byakuya kept his cold gaze on me.

"We leave for the airport in a couple of hours," he said. "Retire until then."

He walked out with those few words, the door closed behind him.

I tapped my fingers lightly on the wood floor. The attendant was nervous to tell me what my brother's new hobby was. My brother himself interrupted her in telling me. Now, no attendant would. Though not verbalized, the message in my brother's attitude was loud and clear. He did not want me to know.

Then the light bulb shined.

Fine, I would 'retire'.

I would stay in my room for a few hours, enough to lull people into thinking that I was still here. But I was going to find out my brother's secret.

Tonight.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

The clock said it was ten-thirty. I had been in my room for a few hours. It was go time. I peeked out into the hall, checking for people who could be roaming in the halls. Empty.

I took in a deep breath and walked quietly out of my room. The only reason I was doing this was because no one had wanted to tell me of my brother's interest and he obviously did not want me to find out. If it was an acceptable pursuit as everyone claimed, then there would be no problem for me to know. The secrecy suggested otherwise.

I was standing in front of my brother's room, and focused on his room. There was no sound of my brother inside; the closest sound being of an attendant that was ten rooms away. There were voices that were whispering about downstairs that were faint starting to come up the stairs, none of them aware of me.

I opened the door into my brother's room. The first thing I noticed was it was spotless. Covered in white, there were no decorations. The only thing that could count as a decoration was a picture of my sister.

My nerves were twitching me every which way as I stepped into my brother's room. I had never been in here before. I felt like someone was over my shoulder, waiting to say I was caught and give me my punishment. But they were waiting, waiting to see if I was going do something more severe.

I walked over to my brother's closet and opened the door and took a step inside, closing the door behind me. The closet was the size of another bedroom, with one window in it to the right. The closet was with a suit and a pair of casual clothing hanging on one of the racks that were built into the walls. There were some suitcases packed in the middle, probably filled with the rest of his clothes for our move. Everything fit in perfectly.

Everything but the dark black trunk that was in the far right corner of the snow white closet.

Up close the trunk was a faded black with faded brown vines twisting in different shapes and directions in a tribal-esque style. The design culminated at the top where a web design was sprawled.

Gently I placed my fingertips onto the lid of the box and lifted. It didn't budge.

Locked.

Even the items owned in this family were complex.

I pressed my lips together in thought. There had to be a key to open the trunk. The key had to be somewhere safe and secret, yet easy to attain since it had to go with us now that we were moving.

Looking up, I saw another picture of Nee-chan.

You always want something secret hidden in sight, somewhere that would not be suspicious if it was viewed for a long amount of time.

There.

I reached for it began to take the back of the frame off. The key was slightly rusted, shaped in a Victorian style design in the color cream and gold. It was taped to the back with a piece of paper that was touching her picture so the key couldn't be detected.

I tore it off carefully and slid the key into the lock.

_Click!_

"Yes!" I exclaimed happily.

I clamped my hand over my mouth and widened my eyes, realizing I had probably given away my position. Quickly I lifted the lid and looked inside.

The sun of happiness was quickly demolished and the cloud of doom firmly reigned.

The click of Nii-sama's door automatically brought me out of my trance and my senses went into high alert. My brother was in his room. His breath was even and calm, pulse slow and at ease.

I closed the truck quietly, locked it and put the key back into the frame. Everything was in its place.

My brother's footsteps paused at the closet door.

And opened it.

Eyes closed, he walked over to the two pairs of clothes that were still hung and took them down.

Byakuya turned in the direction of the trunk and opened his eyes.

Subconsciously, I shivered.

He walked over to the trunk, ice in his eyes.

And rested his hand on it.

Motionlessly, he stood there.

I knew he couldn't see me perched out on the window seal. His vision was nothing like mine. Unless he came over to the window and he would see me freakishly positioned in an inhumane form.

With a deep breath, I turned and looked down. The sun was long gone and only the dark cloud of the moonlight was raining down on the sky. I could make out the ground below, noticing the slight dry patch of grass that could not be seen by human eyes.

Exhaling, I jumped...

There was a moment of ecstasy as I fell, the adrenaline pulsating throughout my body, making me feel alive with the speed and the rush of the freedom. I could hear the air rush past my short hair, the grass slowly coming slower towards me. I looked down and positioned my foot, ready for the soft landing.

The tip of my right foot made contact with the ground, the tip of my left foot following afterwards.

The night was undisturbed from my flight.

I ran back to the direction of the manor my room was in and I creaked my window opened, jumping inside.

I locked the window and pulled the curtains closed. I walked over to my bed, pulling the covers over my head. My mind began to reel as I recalled what I saw in the trunk.

I was living in the lions' cage...

In my own home. I went from being cold treated and unwanted to now having fear of waking up with a blade sharply pressed against my neck.

My life- _My existence_ was now in danger.

That trunk...

There was a map of Karakura town and others of small towns near our old homes.

Question marks around various locations.

And weapons.

_Steel_ weapons.

Weapons that were used to murder...

Newspaper articles of the burnt ashes…

Ashes of…

Vampires.

My brother was the man behind the blade.

I was the vampire behind violet eyes.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

I closed my eyes tighter as I felt the sunlight trickle onto me through the airplane window. I didn't want to see it, another reminder of the nightmare was too much to handle.

A bitter smile twitched on my face slightly. The sun was reflecting the slight happiness that I had before I found out about the death box my brother had.

We had left the airport behind schedule, much to Nii-sama's displeasure since there was a slight problem with the engine.

It was a little trick played by me to quickly check where on the plane brother had his weapons stored so I could destroy them.

However, because of me, Nii-sama had a heated 'discussion' with the pilot who had blamed the co - pilot and was fired. As much as I didn't want to be the one to cause some guy to end up without employment, in the game of survival it's self-first, others second.

The weapons were on the far end of the plane underneath the upside down coach. There was worry 'hidden' from my ears the weapons would be damaged or lost in the transition.

It didn't help either when I snuck off to the compartment when I was supposed to be in the restroom and was almost caught.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

I _had_ to find a way to damage some of the weapons in that trunk. My footsteps were taken between the tightly compact furniture and crawling over some of it.

The good thing was I learned to pick a lock a long time ago. I snuck out the bobby pin I had hidden in my hair. Using the rounded end, I jiggled the pin around.

Five minutes later, the lock popped right off.

With the bobby pin in my pocket, I contemplated how to make the weapons look accidentally broken.

Maybe it tumbled around and one of the hits caused it to open?

I'd believe that.

The box rang loudly a few times, but looked damaged enough to have opened accidentally. I grabbed one of the dozens of weapons threw it with enough force to hit the wall and shatter the blade and crack the hilt in half.

_"What was that?" a voice asked faintly._

_"It came from the cargo area," another voice replied._

Damn! It broke loud enough for a stewardess to hear.

Micro - seconds later I emerged from the restroom to see Byakuya reprimanding the stewardess and a newly hired co-pilot.

The moment I opened the door the three had their eyes on me.

With my best Kuchiki face - one that my brother would have been impressed by, if I could tell him - met their eyes.

"What's going on?"

"Go back to your seat," my brother commanded, turning his attention back to the two.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

After all the trouble it took to break in, only one blade out of the hundreds the trunk held were broken.

With my brother's fury over his precious trunk at an all time high, he was probably itching to incinerate a vamp.

I was determined to stay far away from him as possible.

Keep your friends close, enemies closer - easy when family is the enemy.

With my eyes slightly opened, I looked at my brother from the corner of my eye. He was busy on his laptop and had his phone in hand, speaking into it with a furry.

I always had a secret fear of him. I knew my brother was dangerous, but it was usually in the 'ruin your life and your business way'. Now he was dangerous in a whole different way; in the 'ruin your life by killing you if you are a vampire' kind of way.

It was never in my plans to tell my brother the truth about what I am, much less now that I know this deadly piece of information about him. Duty was everything for him. More important than his life. He'd die to fulfill his duty. He'd even kill me to do it.

My time was limited in the Kuchiki house then. My twenty - first birthday was soon approaching; there was at least nine years before my non aging appearance was set to make itself noticeable when there was no sign of an age mark upon my face. The other members of the family would demand he kill me if they knew what I was. Or they would do it themselves.

As long as they were rid of me, they would not care.

I was nothing more than a disturbance. They were constantly looking for a reason to convince my brother to get rid of me. This would do that and more.

My brother's pulse quickened, probably displeased at what he was being told. He ran Kuchiki Corp. with a firm hand, if anyone was out of line, they were warned once. Out of line again equals fired the second time. The 'family' we are was probably handled no differently.

I would have to think of something when the time came for me to leave. I always tried my best to never be a disappointment to Nii-sama, the news on who I really was would do just that. A way for him to not be disappointed in me and one that would never cause him to look for me or try to look after me. The 'sibling' bond we had would have to die.

I heard him hang up the phone.

"Is something wrong, Nii-sama?" I asked. I don't know why. It's not as if I would actually care about the company, but I did care about my brother, and since he cared about the company (more than me I am sure), I mildly cared about the stature of the company.

"No."

I waited for him to say more, though I knew he wouldn't. Talking to a wall, but the wall was warmer than my brother.

"Sir, we're about to land," a flight attendant said.

He nodded slightly, eyes still focused on his computer.

Great. Karakura town, here I come.

I kept my eyes on the clouds as the plane began its descent down.

The plane landed quickly. We walked out and the first thing we saw was our luggage being towed out. I vaguely caught any of my items. The only thing my eye caught was that black trunk of death.

By the time we were outside, our boxes were already being placed into a white car and a black limo was stationed next to it, door was held opened by the chauffer. My brother stepped in first; I slid in last with the door closing behind me.

Karakura town was a little on the home feeling side; it felt small but big at the same time. The major part of the city was bustling with life. But Nii-sama never liked living in that part of town. He preferred the quiet, demure section of any city. The more desolate, the better. That and there were some crazed obsessed fans bent on capturing the heart of the wealthiest bachelor in Japan. The distance helped ward them off.

We were in the limo for about thirty minutes before we arrived at a huge mansion with a black metal gate. Great. Another cage.

The thing that surprised me the most was that house was painted green with white borders. Usually everything even the house was white. It was practically a requirement. But it was nice after the initial shock. Green made it feel like more of a home.

Like our previous residences, it was plush with green grass and coated in trees with a pond.

Out of nowhere movers instantly began to carry things into the house and ran back and forth with boxes. Looks like this was the beginning of the end. Again.

Seeing all the movers carry things inside made me feel empty, hollow. I had to get away.

"Nii-sama, would it be acceptable if I were to explore Karakura town more?" I asked.

There was a brief twitch in his eye. It wasn't noticeable at all. With my human sight I would have never noticed the slight movement. These eyes could pick up anything.

He had to let me. First of all, I had to know my surroundings. It would be weird if I didn't do some exploring of my new home town. Secondly, I had to get out. I needed to find where I was going to hide in the city when life at the manor was too much for me - even on the days where I had to quench the urge.

If he said no, I would just go out when my brother was asleep. All the servants knew better than to interrupt me in my sleep unless the house was burning down or I was late to a meeting.

"There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow," was all he said and went inside.

Frowning, I turned around and began to walk a few paces behind him.

I hated walking. It was too slow. I had no reason to go at a slow pace. As a human I did. Back then, life was short. I had to make the time to enjoy the simple things because I was not going to be here forever.

Now I was going to be here forever. I could take the time to go fast and enjoy it. Ninety years of a human life would be nine months in mine. So sometimes, I had to pick up the speed.

What I really wanted was to run, to feel the wind whipping around me as I felt freedom capture me entirely. Even though I was denied, freedom and I would become acquainted later.

I kept walking farther as I heard the steps of the movers tap against the concrete. Faintly, I could hear my brother telling one of them to not step on the grass.

Inside the house was stunning, even if there was no actual furniture or decorations yet put into it. The living room was white, as always, the floors were a glassy champagne tile. There was silver pattern on them, leading to the hall. With my head down, I followed it into the hall. The white doors were closed to some of the rooms. I kept on walking up the curved silver stairs to the second story.

Which room is mine?

I tapped my fingers on the metal as I looked up and saw more white doors.

Okay, seriously. I know my brother might be boring, but even he needs to switch it up a little.

Then I noticed a purple door at the end of the hall. Instantly I walked over to it. Opening it, I saw my Chappy the bunny on top of my purple comforter.

Some of my clothing was already hung in the closet on the far right. My luggage of most of my clothing was in the middle of the room.

So this was my new room.

At least it didn't have the white decor. The walls in it were plum purple. The borders of the windows were painted silver as were the borders on the door.

There was a knock on the door.

"Miss Kuchiki."

Ugh. Don't tell me my brother wants to see me.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.

I heard two more sets of footsteps make their way to my door. Pulse even and calm. There was a bit of an edge in my throat. I didn't have my proper breakfast on the plane - the chef, who didn't know that I had a dislike for cheese in my food, had decided to make everything with cheese.

After two bites, I was done.

The chef didn't make the same mistake at lunch, but the food was too salty for me to eat. Nii-sama didn't seem to notice, to him the degree of salt overdose was enough to make it noticeable, but uncomfortable.

If I didn't have my fill of human food, my other hunger would start to emerge with a vengeance. I couldn't risk revealing my nature now more than ever.

"Kuchiki-sama has sent us to help you unpack," was the reply.

This was a test. A cruel test. Three people with warm, pulsating blood. It was too much.

I felt a chill crawl over my skin. The edge was slowly starting to make itself prominent.

_Must stay under control. No one can know. Deep breath. Control of hunger. Tonight. I can get a drink tonight. Just have to be in control for a few more hours._

My first mistake was letting the thirst get to this point Lapses of time without indulging in the thirst led to me becoming more violent and submissive to it.

"Enter."

Sure enough, there were three attendants. The three lambs immediately scattered to the luggage with my clothing and began picking up speed as they walked between the closet and the pile. I took in a deep breath and bit the inside of my lip.

Why couldn't it be night time already?

Hearing their pulse thunder through their veins was torture. It was too tempting to do something to them.

_Just tune it out and it will all go away. You've been hungry before and you'll manage just fine._ But I had never been this thirsty before. Not even when I was first created was I this ravenous.

Not even when I saw those eyes. Those deadly eyes.

Sitting on my bed, I pressed my eyes closed tightly together.

Just a few more hours few more hours few more hours few more hours to freedom few more hours few hours...

"We shall take our leave now, Miss Kuchiki."

I opened my eyes, seeing the three lambs - err, attendants bow. I nodded and they took their leave. The second the door closed, I exhaled in relief. There was no doubt about it. I would _have_ to go out tonight.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

I was pacing back and forth in my room as I waited to hear life at the Kuchiki Manor pause and rest for the night. I just had to find a way to get out! Once Nii-sama was asleep, I would be fine.

It was ten at night, the sun was down and darkness was again looming the house. I heard light, forceful footsteps walk in the hall. Based on the smell of blood, it was Nii-sama.

His footsteps trailed to down the hall and stopped in front of my room door.

I heard him take in a slow deep breath and heard his feet take a turn and walk to the room across from mine. His door opened and closed quietly.

Waiting to hear his pulse calm by sleep, I opened the window and stepped on the window seal. The cool night air beckoned to me, asking me to join in the night.

Slowly my brother's pulse slowed to its rest state.

A smile crossed my face.

Accepting the night's invitation, I took a jump into the air. The moment my body was in the air, I closed the window leaving it slightly opened. I was going to need a way back in, after all.

My feet hit the ground and I took off running, making sure there was no trace of sound of steps. To anyone who would have heard me, it would just sound like a flash of thunder or a sudden tense burst of wind.

I slowed my pace down the moment I took a step next to the tree outside the house property. Which was actually father than I remembered.

I had traveled about half a mile away from the house. The house, even in darkness, was still in my range of sight. It was as clear as day. I could even see some patches of green paint that would soon need touching up.

No one would be able to tell for another couple of months.

A smile touched my face.

Freedom awaits.

With a deep breath, I positioned myself. Ready...

Go.

My eyes flew opened wide as I took off. The wind was whistling through my ears. Grass and trees flew by at top speeds. The rustle of tree leaves reached my ears minutes later as I flew by. My footsteps touched the ground quietly as I ran.

There were some forest animals who had frozen when they heard my approach. They immediately scattered as they saw me. I was the dominate one on the food chain.

The end of the forest was quickly met by a freeway. A solitary car stood at the side, the driver peering in at the engine.

I thundered by the car, the driver looking dazed at the sudden untraceable surge of air that followed me. No human eyes could follow me. Only another vampire could tell where I was.

Them, and only an extremely skilled vampire hunter could have the skill to faintly detect a vampire's moves.

My steps stopped.

Byakuya could then.

He never did anything half way and call it good. It wasn't who he was. He practiced until he excelled and dominated; that was the bane of my brother's personality. If I slipped up, he would be able to tell.

My mind continued to race as my body went on auto pilot.

I had to act more human than I usually did. At least until I was twenty - nine. Now it was to survive.

I would need a job. My own source of income. Save money now and then I would be able to live on my own after I faked my own death. Enough to move to a different country and afford a house, clothes, car, food...

My feet gradually began to walk on a concrete sidewalk, signaling I had approached the town.

Real food.

The taste of it was richer now that I could sense it with a refined palate. Other vampires would not like food, but I did. Then again, I was a strange one. Even I didn't know how to explain my condition.

Subconsciously I noticed some cars and some people walking past me in conversation.

Vampires were not supposed to have beating hearts.

A bell rang as a door opened.

Even at night, the small town was full of night life.

Humans were not supposed to have enhanced speed and strength.

Footsteps took off running.

What was it that made me not fit into either worl-

"UGH!"

Something instantly collided into me.

Lost in my thoughts, I had crashed into a warm body. I felt my hands skid against the pavement (where there were now two half circle shaped dents in it) and landed on the top of the other being.

"Urgh!" I heard something protest under my weight.

I felt the heat of the humans' head next to mine, heard the racing of their heart beat, tasted the very scent of their breath. And I saw it.

Before I had closed my eyes, though I knew it was impossible I saw it.

From the corner of my eye, at eleven p.m., with the round porcelain pearl moon shining high in the sky, I saw it.

I saw the sun.

* * *

**PL333:**

ChappyLove to: Peridot0814, TheHedgeHog22, and Thornspike (you know why).

Thanks so much!

**Oh, and - as much as I ask - I don't own Bleach...**

Next chapter, we finally meet him, the orange haired guy himself!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Quickly, I opened my eyes and glanced at the person who had the gall to run into me.

His eyes were closed, pressed together in pain with a slight over coat of shock. Eyebrows were firmly pressed together and his mouth was set in a scowl.

The first thing I subconsciously noticed was the hair.

So that was why I saw the sun.

It was the brightest shade of orange I had ever seen. The sun itself as it was in the sky brightly glowing in a red sky - my favorite sky.

Dyed? It had to be. No person had this color of hair naturally. It was not possible. Then again, I was the poster child for things that were thought to be impossible.

Maybe he was a vampire. In his human life, he could have had a genetic oddity and when he was changed it transferred to his hair. Any place that would make him appear unique and more appealing.

I was awe - struck for a while, though it was actually more like a few seconds. Slow enough for me to stare, fast enough for him to not notice.

Years of Kuchiki politeness surfaced instantly.

I brushed myself off as I stood and glanced at the guy who was getting up. "I'm sor-"

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

Taken back, my jaw dropped.

I kept my eyes glued to the tall and tanned man. His face still had the scowl covering it. He was slightly slouched. Eyebrows pressed together he had a glare in his eyes.

_His warm honey amber eyes._

"ME?" I loudly asked, banishing the thought in my mind. Obviously the thirst was causing me to have hallucinations. "YOU are the one who ran into me!"

"_I _ran into _you_?" he asked with indignation. "You were the one who wasn't paying attention to where you were going!"

"Yes, _I_ was!" I yelled back. I was perfectly aware of where I was walking. I was conscious of my subconscious. Not a single detail went unnoticed past my eyes. "_You_ were the one that was running! I was the one peacefully walking. You are the one who needs to apologize to me!"

He smirked mischievously, the expression touching his eyes. "You want an apology?"

I gave him a small, curt nod. Maybe this idiot did know some manners.

Maybe.

"Fine. I'll give you an apology."

He stood straight up; his tall, tan, _toned_ frame towering over my petite, pale one.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you," I graciously said. "I accept-"

"Sorry you're so short."

Flames of anger spread across my face, my eyes widening at his words. The orange fruit did _not_ just say that. My Kuchiki poise flew out the window.

"And I'm sorry you're a freakishly tall Orange Strawberry!"

Dead silence hung between the two of us, my words echoing in to the night. A steaming trail of anger radiated off the both of us, a few bystanders running past us as they sensed the tension in the air.

It's a good thing it was nighttime, no one would be able to notice two people disappear only for one to not come back.

His smirk shifted, teeth gritted angrily together. He brought his hand up, clenched together in a ghost white fist.

"What did you say?" he squeezed through his teeth.

_Touched a nerve, did I?_

A sly smile spread on my lips, glad I had gotten him riled up.

"I said: You. Are. A. Freakish. Tall. Orange. Straw. Berry." I enunciated. My hands were balled into fists, ready to strike. My entire being was itching for a fight. And with the orange getting on my nerves, it seemed more than likely to happen.

The Orange's face flamed red.

"And you're an abnormally short white blueberry!" he yelled.

Confusion colored my expression, the fight in my body evaporating momentarily. My Kuchiki mask was instantly in place, ready to make Orangey regret those words.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" I protested.

Who does this strawberry even think he is? And a _white blueberry?_ What does that even mean?

"It makes a lot of sense to people who aren't short!" He folded his arms on his chest, his eyes narrowing onto me.

"You mean idiots like yourself?" I asked, "Because then it would make perfect sense for you to understand that lame excuse of a comment!"

Irritation colored his eyes. Satisfaction of mine reflected back at me from his own.

"Look, little girl," he said, satisfaction replacing his irritation, "why don't you go off and play with your little dollies and with some bowties in your hair-"

My right hand clenched tightly into a fist, my temper fever pitched.

"- go skipping off to the candy store and sing about the good ships with the lollipops and go home –"

At the boiling point, I swung –

" – because it is _way_ past your bedtime - OOOOF!"

My fist triumphantly collided into his stomach.

His face turned ghostly white with his eyes wide with shock.

Success.

He groaned once, holding his stomach. His breath was shallow as he doubled over, teeth gritted in pain.

"How's that for a 'little girl'?"

He tilted his eyes at me, now at the same height level. He was livid with the fire that was now in his eyes, darkened with anger.

Hmm… How odd. He was the first person I had punched ever since I had changed. I knew I was stronger because of it, yet all he did was double over instead of plummeting to the ground and coughing up blood like others had before him.

Not that I was into fighting (a lot) or anything, but a Kuchiki always wins. Even to the point where blood had to be spilled-

_Blood._

The reminder set my throat on fire. This baka had caused me to forget my main goal of sneaking out. I had to go find someone.

My attention turned back to the orange in front of me. I had to find someone. But he was _not_ going to be it. I would never taste a drop of his blood.

"I'll give you this much, Strawberry," I said, copying his smirk, "you know how to take a punch."

With a wave good – bye, I turned and walked off.

The Orange was yelling something back at me; the sound of his struggle to follow falling short of my ears. My mind was focused solely on finding someone to drink from. That was top priority, finding the night life here was second.

Keeping my head down, I tried to find a scent I would like. Should I go spicy? Or sweet?

I turned into an alley when I picked up a scent. It made my eyes a little hazy, clouding my senses. That was the taste I needed.

There were footsteps coming my way, the scent increasing in the tight compressed space. There was only one light at the other end of the alley and I hid in the shadows.

The scent came from a male. He had his right hand in his jean pocket, the left swinging back and forth with each stride. His eyes were turquoise, hair the same shade. Everything about him screamed danger.

_Well then, let's see who the true predator is._

I knew I came into his line of vision the moment I heard his pulse pick up and saw his pupils dilate slightly.

The fire in my throat grew, my face becoming one of desire.

The man stepped closer to me. His lips were pulled into a wide smile, pearly whites gleaming. His eyes narrowed, running over my body.

Normally that look would have caused me to punch his face in, but with the fire I had ablaze in my throat, I was going to ignore it.

This one time.

"Hello," he purred seductively into my ear as he closed the distance between us. His hands gripped my wrists, showing me who was in control.

Feeding time.

"Hello," I said flashing him my best smile.

A deer in headlights stood before me. His 'control' was gone. Now his blood was mine.

His body lost some of its' stiff posture. This man had no chance against a vampire's thirst.

When it came time to drink, everything about a vampire could intoxicate a human when the mind set was right. Some humans required more intoxication; others - like the ones who put up a tough persona - were more susceptible and required less work. I had accumulated too much of a thirst to bother with the chase.

His pupils dilated completely and his body fell forward. I grabbed his shoulders tightly and leaned against a building, his weight almost knocking me over.

His pulse was at a sleep state, calm and relaxed.

The light that was glowing in the middle of the alley was my next priority. I wanted no witnesses for this. With one hand secured, I bent down and gripped a pebble and flung it into the air. It collided with the light, popping it instantly.

The dark filled the alley, my body sighing at the welcoming sight.

I looked down at the blue haired man. Tilting his head up, I saw some scars that he had on the lower part of his chin. Some were healing up nicely, others were there to stay.

His throat was out, bare and ready. I pressed my nose to the pulse point and inhaled. My body shuddered in delight.

It was time.

With a deep breath, I opened my mouth. My teeth were sharpening as his scent caressed my senses. Smiling, I went in for the kill.

The moment my teeth pierced his skin and entered his veins, euphoria overwhelmed me.

Decadence.

His body twitched at the sensation momentarily then remained at ease.

My hands tightened on his back as I continued to taste his blood. It was clean for the most part, just a slight tinge of it indicating he had taken some morphine beforehand.

I needed that. Ibuprofen had no effect on me unless I took more than the required dosage which would not be a good thing since someone in the Kuchiki house always monitored my medicine intake due to Nii-sama's orders after an ex family member tried to off me right after my acceptance into the family. I was already feeling a headache forming from my earlier encounter with the Orange.

That loud mouth, uncultured, brash, strange hair colored Orange jerk!

Angrily, my teeth dug harder into the man's throat.

Great. The Orange wasn't even here and he was ruining this moment for me.

In his sleep state, he let out a small groan of pain.

Oops. I mildly loosened the grip I had on his throat.

This man would not be allowed to remember this. He couldn't. There would be no trace of me taking his blood for myself.

It was the only form of protection I had from being discovered. As for the bite...

Unless the teeth of a vampire were constantly piercing the same section of skin, the bite would fade once the victim was out of the intoxication stage. Another bonus was he would lose an hour of his memory prior to this. No recollection of me at all.

The moment I felt his heart begin to slow, I stopped. Unlike others, I was not a murderer. I only took what I needed.

I guess I'm more human than I thought.

I pulled my teeth out and licked the bite on his neck clean of any blood that I might have missed. I grabbed him and gently laid him on his side on the floor next to the wall. An old empty can of beer caught my eye. Reaching for it, I slipped it into his hands.

When he woke up, our encounter would be just a dream in his mind. A hazy, drug and alcohol induced dream. If a spectator found him, he would have the appearance of someone who had no self-control over their alcohol intake. There would be no questions asked as to why he was in that state.

With my index finger, I wiped my mouth and walked away.

The night was beckoning.

#!*#!*#!*#!*#!*

I rolled over on my bed the next morning, still feeling full from the previous night. Despite my night owl nature, Kuchiki's still had to be up and early and I needed to catch my brother before he was about to do any business so I could obtain his permission to see Karakura.

I had snuck back into the Kuchiki manor around three or four in the morning, everything at the house at a standstill. The amount of blood I took from the man was more than enough, I shouldn't be feeling any hunger for several months. But I still wasn't safe. My mannerisms had to change. Including the ones where my quick reflexes would kick in.

Getting out of bed, I showered and then changed into some cropped jeans and a purple shirt. I had to keep up my appearances in the family. Also, my brother was letting me go out into town 'for the first time' this morning, and I wanted to be out as soon as possible. I made my way downstairs and I could hear my brother already on the phone on the kitchen table.

Byakuya was at the head of the table as he usually was in the mornings, a phone in his right hand. He had a plate of food before him on the glass. A cup of coffee was on the left.

"Very well, then." And he shut his phone.

"Good morning, Nii-sama," I greeted him with a bow.

He gave a slight nod and began eating something green.

I sat at my usual position, to his left a chair away from him. A plate of food was placed before me as was a glass of juice.

"Nii-sama," I glanced at him, waiting to see if he was going to turn his attention to me. "I am going to see the city after breakfast today."

Mentally, I scolded myself. He already knew that was today. I didn't have to remind him. Many in the family said I was always going to be inferior, looks like I was giving their claims reason.

"Fine, be back for dinner," was all he said.

"Hai. Thank you, Nii-sama."

I turned my attention to my plate and picked up my fork. I had only taken a couple of bites of the sausage offered to me when I heard the main door to the house open.

"We have an appointment with Kuchiki-sama," the person at the door said, probably to one of the servants.

"Very well. Follow me, please."

Three sets of footsteps echoed past the living room and went promptly into the hall, the door of my brother's office opening. Only two sets of steps shuffled inside.

"Please take a seat," I heard one of the attendants say. "I'll inform Kuchiki-sama you are here."

The door closed again and quick, quiet footsteps made their way to the kitchen.

"Kuchiki-sama, they are both here to see you."

I looked over to see an attendant bow to my brother.

Nii-sama gave a slight nod and rose.

The attendant quickly retreated, saying, "They are waiting for you in your office."

They? We just got here and Nii-sama already has someone here waiting to do business with him? Kuchiki Corp. business was never done at the house. Unless it was a phone call or a business dinner, clients never actually came to the house.

I was left alone at the dining table, focusing my senses in the direction of my brother's office.

Brother's voice was faint, indicating that he was on the far end of the manor. He paused and I could hear three other heartbeats besides his in the office.

"These are the best, top of the line." One voice rang.

Top of the line? It was a business meeting then.

"These are easier to wield," another voice added.

'_These are easier to wield?'_ what kind of business meeting is this? What does that even mean?

My brother sighed. "Hmm." I could almost hear him nod.

"Are you alright, Miss Kuchiki?"

I was awoken out of my haze, aware that I had just been staring off into space.

The attendant's brown eyes peered at me with curiosity.

"Pardon?" I asked, gaining back my composure.

"Would you like some more, Miss?" she asked.

That was _not_ the question she had asked me.

Staring through the lying attendant, I shook my head and rose. "I am finished." I declared, rising from my chair.

I walked into the living room, grabbing a magazine that had been lying on the coffee table. Flipping through it, the pictures were a blur. This was the only way to any exit from my brother's office. I had to get a visual of who these people were.

What were they even trying to sell my brother?

My brother's footsteps aimed to the door and the wind shifted as said door was pulled opened. My brother's footsteps emerged first, light and quick paced.

The second pair were not so light, but more commandeering.

The third, however, were brash and powerful.

Slowly – in my eyes, I saw my brother pop into the living room. I dropped the magazine slightly, my eyes peeking through the top.

Behind him, a tall man with striking red hair and tribal tattoos on his followed.

My brother's eyes turned to my face and I met his eyes. I placed the magazine back on the table and rose, Kuchiki etiquette kicking in again. I walked over to them and turned to the man at my brother's left and gave him a small bow.

"Kuchiki Rukia." I greeted him, a false smile on my face.

He gave a huge smile and awkwardly did the same.

_Where's the third guy?_ His footsteps were right behind this guys'. And it's not as if he could go and look into the house. Brother did not allow non-familiar members that privilege.

_I_ was barely allowed that right.

"Abarai Renji," he introduced himself.

Now I had a name to match the face.

"It's nice to meet you." I half complimented. It would be nicer if he was never here, or if we ever met. But that was none of his business.

"You too," he mumbled, his countenance slightly covered in a shade of red.

Abarai turned around as the third footsteps started to catch up to our location. My gaze followed his.

"And this is -."

Renji stopped when a hand briefly squeezed his shoulder.

My eyes widened as the third man came into view.

The honey amber eyes popped wide open and then narrowed.

He took another step, stopping behind Renji.

The man took a dominate stance. He smirked at me. The man had his eyes locked squarely onto mine and opened his mouth.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

* * *

_**They meet at last!**_

I edited their first meeting and the ending like seventy times before it ended the way I felt was right. I wasn't planning on releasing this chapter so soon, but I was in a good mood since it is October third, my favorite month and day.

So I decided to treat you guys early!

ChappyLove to: KrAzI JaY, Luvvvy, Zangetsu50, Jesseblackhawk, and pinky357 (You know why)

In case you want to know the guy in the alley,

RukesVictim#1: Grimmjow

RukesVictim#2: ?

**You shall see.**

**And feel free to tell me if they ever seem out of character!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

No way.

No way no way no way.

Him.

He was here.

The Orange Strawberry.

He was in my house.

He was in my house, talking to my brother.

He was in my house, talking to my brother, the vampire hunter.

I am so dead.

Years of Kuchiki etiquette automatically kicked in, taking my body into autopilot mode.

I gave him a smile and a small bow, my body almost creaking as I forced the muscles to respond.

"Kuchiki Rukia." I said, hoping no one had noticed my inner rant.

He flashed that smirk again, "Hmm."

I am so dead.

Kurosaki had me in his hands and he knew it.

"You're Kuchiki – sama's younger sister?" Abarai asked.

I nodded as I forced my gaze away from Kurosaki's face. "Yes, I am."

The smirk of death spread out even more on Kurosaki's face.

"Rukia," My brother's voice cut into the conversation.

My eyes went over to my brother, his cold countenance comforting in the situation, "Yes, Nii-sama?"

"Take Abarai and Kurosaki to the guest wing."

The guest wing? Also known as the place rooms are that people stay in when they plan on staying here for a long period of time? They are to be staying at our domicile?

"The guest wing?" For once, please let my vampire hearing be wrong.

My brother's response was a gaze as cold as an iceberg. That was all the response I was going to receive.

"Hai, Nii-sama," I clenched my hand as I gave my brother a small bow, the pain of my nails digging into my skin the only reminder of keeping my fury in control.

"Abarai-san, Kurosaki-san," I turned to them, the last words of my mouth tasting like sour fruit. "Please follow me to your rooms."

Renji mimicked my actions and gave my brother a deep bow. "Arigato, Kuchiki-sama."

Ichigo just repositioned his feet to the direction I was turned. "Later, Byakuya."

Renji and I froze on the spot.

The atmosphere of the room dropped to below freezing. The morning sun darkened. Footsteps from the other attendants stopped. The heartbeats of everyone in the hall way came to a standstill. Nothing. The silence was too loud for me.

"Yo, are we going or what?" Ichigo asked, breaking the silence.

His voice broke me out of my confine and I turned and started in the direction of the rooms. "Follow me." I said with Kuchiki authority, ignoring the ice cold fear that was radiating off of my brother.

The two followed in my direction, tension in the air almost suffocating in every step.

Once my brother's glacier aura was out of our reach, Renji's pulse began to slow to its usual rhythm.

Ichigo's pulse was easy going, completely unaffected by my brother.

If only I could have that immunity to everything.

On the outside, I was in full Kuchiki mask mode; calm, cool, and collected; the epitome of a Kuchiki.

On the inside, I was in full on freak out mode. Panic, pessimistic, and anxious; fearful. The complete opposite of the Kuchiki name.

_I will __**not**__ let it show. I will be the epitome of a Kuchiki and be fearless. Kurosaki had no real evidence that can work against me. If my brother ever found out I had snuck out, at most he would ask what I was doing and why. Then he would lecture me on how I disappointed him with my un-Kuchiki like behavior by sneaking around at inappropriate times._

_Then my brother would have someone following me; watching my every move outside of the house._

_Watching me, seeing my true nature; the true me._

Forever ending my life as a Kuchiki.

On the run as a Fumetsu.

Or dead as a Kuchiki.

The outcome was still up in the air.

Uncertainty was not fair game.

"So you've recently moved here?" Renji asked.

I looked up at him, keeping my inner turmoil at bay. He, I had no reason to fear. Probably.

Anyone who uses the word slice in a sentence with my brother was probably someone I had to keep an eye on.

"Yes," I agreed in a pleasant voice. "We just moved in yesterday."

His face brightened slightly. "Really? How do you like Karakura?"

Renji was more animated than his partner. Kurosaki actually had a stand-offish attitude, like he didn't give a damn.

Keeping my eyes on Renji, I noticed Kurosaki in my peripherals. His eyes were focused solely onto my face.

"Karakura seems nice." I responded. "I haven't really had a chance to go out and explore the town."

Kurosaki snorted. "Not today, you mean."

Renji turned his attention back to Ichigo.

"What's up, Ichigo?" Renji asked.

"Nothing," he said. He went back to looking at me, and then asked, "So you haven't had a chance to see the city, huh?"

I looked ahead, allowing a smile. "Not really, no."

After all, enjoying the city was a difficult thing to do on an empty stomach.

"What a shame." Kurosaki's voice was deadpanned.

Renji nodded. "The city does look great at this time of day."

"The city does look different when it's not seen by moonlight." Kurosaki commented. "Don't you think so, Rukia?"

My mask gave a slight crack.

I shot him a glare, a smug smile reflecting back at me.

Then somewhere in the back of my mind, it clicked.

He called me by my first name without my consent. This idiot had no manners at all whatsoever!

If he thought his comments were going to make me waver, he had no idea who he was dealing with the wrong girl.

Rukia takes crap from no one.

"I'll take your word for it, Kurosaki."

Renji stated, oblivious to the silent exchange, "Maybe we should go out and see the town."

Nope. Not gonna happen.

"Sounds like a plan." Kurosaki agreed his tone devious.

At the end of the hall, I stopped. This idiotic conversation had to cease.

"These are your rooms." I said, motioning to the two doors that I had to my left. "If you shall need anything, feel free to tell us. I'll leave you two to rest. Our house is at your disposal."

Leaving no room for questions, I turned leaving them in front of their room doors.

"Thank you." Renji mumbled.

"Yo, Rukia."

My right eyebrow twitched, the stress already kicking in.

"Yes, Kurosaki-san?" I asked, my sweet hostess voice appearing out of nowhere.

I had the contentment of seeing the corners of his eyes narrowed, agitated by my tone.

Maybe I should use this tone of voice more often. More so around Ichigo.

"Where's the kitchen?" He asked walking up to me, his red friend coming closer to us.

The muscles in my arm reacted at him being in such a close distance to me. They were prepped to throw him another round if necessary.

"Are you hungry, Kurosaki?" I asked.

"It is rude for the host to deny their guests food, _Rukia_." He responded.

The emphasis on my name did not go unnoticed.

Renji's expression was a little nervous, his back straightening and then he motioned to me. "Err, Ku-"

"Very well then," I said in my hostess voice, delighted at the agitation that was once again in the amber eyes. "Follow me."

"Hai," Renji whispered.

"Whatever," I heard Kurosaki mumble softly.

His steps were too close for my tastes. I could almost feel the heat radiating off of him as we walked. There was an attendant opening a window on our way to the kitchen and a wave of air rolled in.

Ichigo was in front of it and his scent assaulted my senses.

"So, Rukia, what do you do?" Renji asked. "Since your brother runs Kuchiki Corp., he has to have you doing something there."

Spicy, musky, an undertone of caffeine….

I shook my head slightly for some control. "I'm waiting for my college semester to start."

"You're a college student?" Ichigo's voice cut in.

…Primal. All mixed together.

Ichigo smelled wonderful.

My resolve could not waver.

The breeze stilled.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Cursing my enhanced senses, I nodded.

"I didn't know little kids were allowed to enter college."

My head snapped to Kurosaki. "I am not a child, Kurosaki. Contrary to what your small mind believes, I am a grown adult."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. You're like – what – twelve?"

"Ichigo!" Renji exclaimed, finally noting the dark turn the conversation had taken. "Kuchiki-san, w –w - what Ichigo means is-" Renji stumbled on his words again.

"I am twenty years old," I stated, trying to keep my cool. "And unlike you, I actually act my age."

"No, you don't."

This Orange was just trying to push my buttons. If we weren't in the manor, I might have screamed at him at the top of my lungs.

"Ichigo-"

"And why do you say that?" I asked, interrupting Renji.

"How many twenty year olds do you know of that are that short?" he asked me, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well how many teens do you know of that are tall, genetic mutants?" I retorted.

"I am not a teen!" he yelled, his tough composure breaking. "I am eighteen years old!"

"Still ends in teen." I commented.

"So what's on the menu?" Renji asked nervously, hoping to fan the flames down.

We both turned our attention to him, our anger now aimed at him. Renji's eyes shifted between the two of us, looking like he was ready to bolt at first chance.

"The chef can make anything to your liking," I growled, my eyes now observing Kurosaki.

His entire body was tense, well developed muscles in his arms causing the sleeves to appear slightly tight. The buttons on the front almost seemed to cascade down his chest and abs, slight strain showing next to them, like they would pop right off with minimal effort.

_This guy looks like he's rip-_

I instantly looked away before that thought could finish forming. I had to be losing my sanity. There was no way I could think of the enemy like that. He was the enemy! Thoughts like that only made things worse until someone ends up running for their life.

Ignoring the glare on me, I turned my back and continued walking.

This part of the walk was actually peaceful. Renji kept making small talk with me and I was glad do oblige. He was actually very interesting and he knew how to show respect; a truly nice man. Had we met under different circumstances, we might have been true friends.

The chef must have heard us coming since he was already standing patiently by the table and promptly asked us what we had wanted. Seconds later, he had disappeared into the kitchen.

I walked over and sat in the spot I usually sit in. Kurosaki made the wise decision of sitting across the table from me – not far enough, however – and Renji sat on my left.

"So what is worth seeing in Karakura town, Renji?" I asked.

"Everything!" Renji exclaimed. "The stores, the sights, the people, it's all wonderful here!"

Not all the people were wonderful, but that didn't mean the rest of the town had to pay the price for one rotten apple. Or should I say one rotten strawberry.

"I think I'll do that." I said.

"You should, since you probably narrowed down the list of places after your trip yesterday." Kurosaki commented.

Renji tilted his head slightly, the piled red hair making him appear like he would tip over. "Why do you keep making comments like those, Ichigo?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it, Renji," I said, "Kurosaki is probably referring to what I saw through the window on the plane ride here."

"Oh," Renji nodded, believing the lie, "Makes sense."

"Isn't that right, Kurosaki?" I asked him in my nice voice again.

There was a brief irritation coloring his eyes when he looked at me. "Of course, _Rukia_." He agreed through gritted teeth.

At least I could torture him for entertainment.

"I know," Ichigo's voice rang louder than necessary. "After we finish our meal, how about we take you on that tour of the town we promised you earlier?"

No. The answer was no.

I opened my mouth to reply in the nicest formal manner I could muster. "Thank you for the offer, Renji-kun, Kurosaki-san, but I am afraid I cannot today. Maybe we could some other day?"

"Sure." Renji replied, his features marred with slight disappointment. The sadness did not suit his personality. "No problem."

Ichigo gave a fake frown. "Are you sure? There is a lot of Karakura to know. I can tell you one thing or two."

_And I could give you a one and two right in the gut, but you don't see me doing that, now do you?_

"After all, wouldn't it be rude to refuse a request from a guest?" Kurosaki continued. "It _is_ just a tour of the city."

This man was wearing down my patience fast. He had only been here for almost an hour and I was frustrated beyond belief.

I took in a deep breath for composer then opened to respond.

"Do not be back late."

The three of us jumped, seeing my brother at the dining room entrance.

"Nii-sama," I mumbled. How much of the conversation had he heard?

He opened his eyes and looked at me. There was reprimand in them, showing he had heard the last part of the conversation. It was rude of me to refuse a guest's request, but I did not want to go when half of the duo had a burning hatred for me and the third party would be caught in a cross fire.

"You shall accompany Kurosaki on a tour of the city." Byakuya declared. "Abarai, we have business to discuss once you are finished."

"Hai, Kuchiki-sama," Renji inclined his head at my brother's back.

No one spoke a word until my brother's steps echoed.

Renji seemed to be in a daze. "I wonder what he wants to discuss. I mean there are some things I know he would like to talk about. Unless he was so pleased with our business he wants to continue the work relationship. I can't believe we impressed him that much. Then again, it is an honor to work with him. Don't you think? This could mean huge deals for us…."

Renji's voice trailed off, his words a haze in my mind.

I was going to be alone in a car with him as my tour guide. My eyes widened at the thought, turning my attention to him.

Just before he spoke, I had my eyes firmly on him. The cards had shifted to his favor. His body attitude changed significantly. Kurosaki sat straighter, an aura of power engulfing him. His eyes flashed to me, everything else in the room fading. Pure delight: my torture his satisfaction, amber eating me alive.

"It's just you and me, Rukia." Ichigo's tone was dark, coated with the satisfaction of capturing his prey in his hands; tongue savoring every word, decadence was every syllable. "Just you and me."

* * *

**PL333:** Sorry about the wait for this - it felt like a long time in my book. I had a whole lot of issues starting with a test, a funeral, got sick, and fell on stairs on my way to my room. *Sigh*

October was not nice to me.

The chapter had been finished for days but then I got distracted writing a one – shot and barely posted it (Unspoken Rule, also an IchiRuki).

To the guest reviewer who suggested that I put song lyrics in my story, lucky you should mention that since there is a song this story is inspired by! But I'm not saying what it's called until the time is right.

ChappyLove to my reviewers, readers, B000097z, Cecilia Haunt, Fadedlies, and SuperRukia (Nice name, btw!) for reading this.

ChappyLove also to the people who reviewed and favorite my one – shot as well.

**Mini-Chappy's for all!**

See you next chapter – where you're going to meet someone and hate me for it. Sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

**PL333:** A whole month for an update. Sorry, I was busy. This chapter is the size of two chapters. Winter break's almost here, I'll try to type at least three chapters. Because of how this chapter plays out, I decided to put this note at the beginning.

ChappyLove to those who still favorite Unspoken Rule.

ChappyLove as well to: BlackRose786, spiritgirl1, ichiruki3 (yay, another 3!), and lemusj2012.

Ready to meet the person you're going to hate me for introducing?

*Runs, ducks, and hides*

I still don't own Bleach, will never get to…

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

If it were at all possible, I would have beaten Kurosaki to a bloody pulp. But that would have been too conspicuous to do out in the broad daylight of Karakura, making it difficult to take him right where I wanted him. People would have noticed. Nii- sama would hear of that incident, disown me, and worst of all, make me apologize to Ichigo. There was no way I'd apologize to him. It cannot happen.

I looked down at Ichigo, taking great pleasure in how he was tied up and unable to run from me. From the moment we ran into each other, some part of me knew Ichigo didn't seem like the kind of person to take something lying down. He, as I suspected, didn't go down without a fight. The first thing I had done when I had caught him was tie his mouth so no one could hear him struggling against me. I proceeded to bind his arms and legs so he could not fight me as I carried him off into the forest.

Our trip hadn't gone as well as everyone thought it would. Kurosaki had actually managed to push the boundary of my patience even farther than before. Soon enough we had started arguing and we ended up in an alley having round three of our argument royale; a hot topic being where he came up with 'White Blueberry'. Ichigo had ruined any possibility of ending this torment with words (the breaking point was when he commented that my brain development was experiencing the same problems as my height - short and underdeveloped), involuntarily causing me to tap into my vampire side.

The second I had shifted to my vampire mind set, I had already decided on my plan.

I was going to hurt Kurosaki in the best way possible, the best way I would get the most satisfaction, where I would be driven to the edge of sanity, where he would lose willingly and never regret it.

The both of us would reach nirvana.

Ask a vampire what was the number one thing they valued, they would all say it was their existence. That was why I valued the number one rule of my survival, the most basic survival tactic of them all: Blood is always a must.

Running to the most shadowed covered part of the forest I could find, I launched him right beneath a tree.

Hitting the trunk of the tree, Ichigo grunted a bit with pain at the force of impact.

I smiled as I approached; I might never have the chance again to relinquish my control.

He stared at me with hard eyes, anger shining with the visualization of strangling me. Ichigo kicked his feet until he was in a sitting position, his back against the trunk of the tree.

"Now you are going to know why you never anger a Kuchiki." I mumbled to him, sitting right on his lap.

Forcefully, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his face right next to mine.

I was going to quench two thirsts tonight.

The normal thirst for blood I always had when I was hungry and the thirst that began to consume me when I first caught his scent.

I valued my existence more than I did his, more than I valued the existence of anyone else. After this I would either erase this experience from his mind and never see him again, or continue being around him and make him forget every time I wanted a taste of him. The only hitch was with constant exposure, the sensation would linger for him. Ichigo would remember what it felt like since I hadn't put him in a trance like I had my other victims; he would end up trying to recreate the sensation only I can give him.

There was only one decision factor. The actions that would transpire after this encounter would define the action I would take.

Tired of prolonging the moment, I exposed the left side of his neck the smell of coffee hitting me hard. I could hear his heartbeat thrashing through his skin, taunting me to taste. Taking in a deep breath, my sanity slowly began to fade.

I gave him a predatory smile of pleasure.

Kurosaki's eyes began to widen when he saw the hunter in me emerge, heartbeat increasing ten-fold. If only he knew how much that enticed my senses. He began shaking his head and he tried to regain control over his movements, the anger returning back to his eyes.

Rapidly I leaned in and bit his skin, right where the pulse was at its most exposed.

I heard him let out a groan as my teeth pierced his flesh, his breathing turning heavy. His blood trickled into my mouth slowly at first, angering me. I was not in the mood to be patient anymore, now was the time for taking what I wanted.

Kurosaki continued struggling at the sensation, trying to move his body away from me. I grabbed his right bicep with my hand and – with a possible bruise - squeezed, restraining him from continuing his efforts.

Controlling him, my teeth dug in deeper, Ichigo twitched slightly at the discomfort, his breathing strenuous. This was no longer like my other feedings. The tame, controlled Rukia had gone on break – glad to be the one to take the back seat; the wild, fierce Rukia was ready to stake her claim – savoring her new found freedom.

The vampire in me enjoyed the power over Ichigo. Someone who had tried to dominate me was now at submission.

This moment might never happen again. I was going to savor every moment for eternity.

I glanced up at him for a moment.

Ichigo groaned once more, his face covered with some flush. Ichigo's skin had become really heated, almost fire to the touch. His pupils were slightly dilated at the sensation, delight covering them.

"For someone who was so opposed to this, you really seem to be enjoying it." I breathed against his neck.

His face reddened slightly at my words.

My lips brushed his neck as I smiled, reveling in the decadence.

I gave him a light bite on the pulse, teasing the skin.

Ichigo grunted slightly and tilted his head to the right, exposing more of his neck.

Chuckling I pulled away to look him in the eyes, our noses almost touching. In a dark, enticing tone that I was surprised I even knew, asked, "Do you want me to bite you, Orange?"

Ichigo's pulse skipped a beat. His eyes turned wide, stunned by my offer. The ambers mirrored his thoughts showing me he was pondering my offer. Tightly he quickly closed his eyes.

A brief second passed before he opened them again.

He looked back at me with ferocity, his eyes attempting to hide the plea behind them. He was attempting to rebuild his state of mind, trying to plan an escape from me. Ichigo expression also showed he was locked in a fight with himself; his desire against his resolve.

Wanting the odds to be in my favor, I grazed the bite with my fingers, nails giving it a light scrape. Moving my fingers, I held my mouth close to his throat.

"Do you," I whispered against it, my breath hitting his neck, hovering against the bite, "want me to have another taste of you, Ichigo?"

His pupils dilated completely, molding into the brown when I said his name.

The question I asked him was out of courtesy. We both already knew who had dominance, even if one of us was resistant. Ichigo needed to accept reality of who controlled this, the same person who was in control of him. I was the one who decided if he should experience that sensation again. I had the final say.

Teasing him, I ran my tongue over the bite and pulled back.

Swallowing hard, a hint of shyness covered his face and he looked down and stared me right in the eyes…

And nodded.

I smiled, delighted at my conquest.

I picked my head right up, tilting his chin. My eyes were locked on his as I began to dive right back in, ready to drive us both back to the highest of ecstasy...

"Oh, and don't forget to take Rukia to the pastry shop. You know she'll love Yuzu's treats..."

Take me to a pastry shop?

My eyes widened as I realized where I was, breaking out of my trance.

I was in the dining room with Renji and the Orange.

It was just a daydream?

The running through the forest and pinning Ichigo against a tree, tilting his head up, taking in his blood... was just a dream?

I sighed as Renji's voice gave me the last push out of my fantasy. That was what I wished I was doing, but there was no way that was going to happen. I told myself that I was not going to have his blood stain my lips, not a drop of him near me. Unlike daydream Kurosaki, my resolve shall not waver.

_Still doesn't mean that you don't want it._

I shook my head slightly at the thought.

None of my dining companions had noticed that I was mentally gone for a while, which was good considering I could have jumped one of them then and there for breaking me out of my trance.

My thirst for blood had gone up significantly because of my mental lapse. My senses were now on edge, ready to strike if necessary. If anyone made even the slightest twitch, my instincts would kick in and they would become the next course.

Sneaking up on a vampire was not a good thing to attempt unless one had a death wish.

During my mental escape, Renji had decided to take it upon himself to tell Ichigo where he should take me on our little 'fun' sight - seeing trip across Karakura. Nothing about me was enjoying going through the torture.

What was Nii – sama thinking, sending me alone with a man (or should I say citrus fruit) that he only knew for at most an hour in a city that he hadn't even seen as well? Was he trying to get me kidnapped?

"Yeah," Ichigo deadpanned. "Sure," he nodded, Renji's words failing to reach his ears.

Renji's face fell, noticing Ichigo's disinterest. "You aren't even listening, are you?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Not really." he replied indifferently.

Renji sighed. "Could have told me sooner," he mumbled. "Where do you plan on taking Rukia, then?"

The million dollar question.

Everything in the room paused.

Though he kept his face impassive, the rest of his body had stilled. His hands had curled around the edge of the plate, hard eyes frozen on Renji's face.

Renji leaned back in his seat, wary of Ichigo's expression.

I kept my gaze casual as I looked at Kurosaki. Amber eyes became darker the second he looked at me, tongue running slightly over his bottom lip.

I knew it.

He already had something up his sleeve. I could almost see it. In his mind, was beginning to plan my humiliation all over Karakura. First he was going to act as if everything was fine, the both of us passive aggressive. We would put up a front in public. Then the second there was no one around, he was going to find a way to make me snap. Little does he know the strength of a Kuchiki.

Ichigo closed his eyes, his body breaking out of its frozen state. A smirk crossed his face, his body still tense. "We'll be around."

He wasn't even going to bother showing me around. The 'tour' was just a ruse. The only people oblivious to it were Renji and my brother. It must be nice to live naïve in a world full of deceit.

"Whatever," Renji conceded, his face showing defeat as he looked at me. "Just make sure to tell me what parts of town he shows to you that way if he leaves out the good spots I can take you to the ones he left out, Rukia."

With my rationality still clouded by my instincts, my next involuntary reaction came out of the blue - my actions barely registering moments later.

Smiling at Renji, I reached out and placed my hand on top of his and brushed it with my fingers, his skin was soft to the touch. My eyes started blinking faster than they normally do, fluttering up and down. Renji's pulse began to up and his face was becoming a light shade of tomato red. His expression became flustered, eyes dilating.

"Arigato, Renji," my voice becoming smooth and an octave deeper as I thanked him, every one of my senses tuned solely on him.

"S – Sure," he stuttered, "any time."

My smile spread a little wider, the whites of my teeth shining at him reflecting back at me in his eyes.

His body shook lightly, a hot shiver blanketing him. Renji looked hypnotized as his body seemed to lean in slightly to me.

All I could do was watch Renji lean in closer to me - enough to be in my personal space – when it dawned on me.

I had accidentally placed him under my spell when I was still on auto pilot from my vampire haze. I needed to think of something to break him out of this trance before he does something we will both regret. He would regret his action of approaching me in such an intimate manner and I definitely regret losing my control, making him take the blame for my lack of restraint.

"R - Renji -" It wasn't like me to stutter. I was at a loss of words. A Kuchiki was never to stutter. But I really had no words for this. What was I supposed to say in this situation: 'Stop because I put you under my vampire trance?'

Not with Nii- sama nearby or Ichigo as a witness.

Renji continued to lean forward little by little. "R- Rukia..."

The features on his face were so close to my eyes, almost to the point where they would begin to blur.

This had to stop. Now.

I looked down to the ground quickly to think of a distraction. Seeing my foot was close to his, I began to lift mine until it hovered right above his. Forcefully I began to feel the muscles in my leg start to aim down.

Renji's eyes began to close.

A sharp clink rang in the air as a silver fork passed right between Renji and me, landing on the wall with the prongs hooked into the wall.

The sound seemed to snap Renji out of his trance as we both turned in the direction the fork came from.

Kurosaki was standing up, mildly crouched, his entire body seemingly ready to jump over the edge of the table. His body was semi - crouched over, like he was ready to jump over it and beat both of us to the ground. With his metal chair tipped over on its side, Ichigo's left hand was curled into a fist, knuckles pressed tightly against the surface of the table; the right extended out in mid - air across the table in our direction. His eyes were wide with a slight undertone of insanity.

Renji and I stared at him for a moment. Kurosaki looked a little out of his mind with his spiky hair sticking up even more than usual like he had been pulling on it.

There was also something else in his amber hues, something I just couldn't find the words to describe. It made his eyes seem darker, sinister.

"Ichigo," Renji's voice was hesitant with his words, attempting to say them as if he did not want to break him. "Are you okay?"

Ichigo huffed out a heavy breath, still not responding.

Kurosaki's silence scared me - not that I would show it or anything, since Kuchiki's never show fear. Worried about him (not that I cared about Ichigo's safety, I was worried about the safety of Renji, Nii - sama, and I.), I tightened my hand into a fist over Renji's palm, trying to prepare myself for what Ichigo's next reaction was going to be.

Some part of me was still defiant as I said something that I shouldn't have at all.

"Kurosaki - kun?" I asked in my soft and sweet voice that he hated.

Ichigo jerked forward slightly and Renji and I lurched back in our chairs, the legs scraping against the floor.

Mentally I scolded myself for the lack of control and maturity. I just had to push his buttons.

He glared at Renji and I more, not breaking out of his stance. He opened his mouth; his teeth tightly gripped together, "What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing. Renji?"

Renji tilted his head to the side, question in his face. "What do you mean?"

I moved my hand away from Renji's, still closed in a fist, and brought it to my side. I lowered my foot back down to the ground.

Ichigo didn't answer, puffing out more air.

"Abarai," Byakuya's cold voice seemed to break the room.

My eyes flashed to Ichigo momentarily, hoping he would keep himself in check. As long as he didn't crack in front of my brother, everything would be fine.

"Hai?" Renji asked, his eyes shifting between the three of us.

Nii - sama remained silent, observing the three of us. His gaze lingered on Ichigo and me.

I tried my best to avoid eye contact with my brother, keeping my line of sight directly on Ichigo. He was still standing, just staring at us in our chairs.

"What is going on?" brother asked everyone in the room with his monotone voice. His eyes shifted from Renji to me to Ichigo, waiting to see which one of us would answer first.

Oddly enough, my brother's cold words seemed to have melted Ichigo's posture.

Ichigo's arms fell slack and his posture returned to its usual aloof self. "Nothing," Ichigo answered my brother as he bent down to pick up his chair. "Nothing at all."

Byakuya didn't seem to believe his story as he turned to face me specifically.

I kept my face calm as Nii - sama's gaze poured onto mine. Even if he asked me what had caused Ichigo's odd reaction, I would not have known how to respond. Kurosaki himself couldn't control his actions for whatever reason to explain the outburst.

Nii - sama opened his mouth and Renji shot out of his seat.

"Kuchiki - sama, ready whenever you are for our meeting." Renji stated.

My brother closed his mouth, diverting his attention back to Renji. Byakuya closed his eyes and gave a slight nod. He turned began to walk out of the room with Renji as he trailed behind him. Renji shot us one last look of caution before he disappeared from our sight.

The air was thick and still as Ichigo and I sat frozen in our seats.

Ichigo and I were now alone. Alone together, him and I.

The sound of Renji and Nii - sama's footsteps were still in my ear as they took each one. Brother's pace of footsteps were still the same. I could tell by the sound of Renji's pace he was still nervous of having left the both of us alone.

Nervous of the orange, ticking time bomb known as Kurosaki Ichigo.

Warily, I kept my face even as I looked at Ichigo. He resumed eating his meal as if nothing had happened. My gaze was still on Ichigo as I took a sip of my drink. There was no trace of the outburst moments before anywhere in the room... except for the fork that was still lodged into the wall.

I put my drink down and then placed the last bite of food on my plate into my mouth when I caught Ichigo's gaze at me out of the corner of my eye.

Neither of us had spoken a word to each other. As long as we didn't speak, there was no possibility of another fork - or each other - flying across the room as we attacked one another.

The two of us locked eyes and stared each other down.

I placed my utensil down on the table and tapped my fingers lightly against the glass as I finished chewing my food. I narrowed my eyes at him and began to tap my foot in time with the fingers on the table.

"I can't stand you," I told him, my face echoing my words.

Ichigo's face did the same and deepened his scowl. "The feeling's mutual."

I glanced at the hall and went back to looking at him. I raised an eyebrow. "Stay on your side of the house and I'll stay on mine? That way, we see each other as minimal as possible."

He moved his jaw back and forth, contemplating my offer. "What do I get out of it?" he asked, his voice and body attitude becoming cocky.

His stance in the chair changed back to the one of power. Orange was overconfident in a house that was not his own. As he shifted the air around him moved slightly. His natural fragrance hit me again.

I curled my right hand around the bottom edge of the table, desperate for control. I needed to have full control before I spoke and his scent invaded my senses once more. I bit my lip and thought about the terms.

I needed to create this imaginary boundary line in the house. The less often I caught his scent, the less of a chance there would be of me wanting to maul him like in my daydream - delusion. My delusion; my blood thirsty, hormone induced delusion.

"You-"

I stopped when one of the attendants caught my eye as they walked in and began to clean one of the vases placed on a small table in the kitchen.

This attendant was my brother's personal attendant. If he was here instead of with my brother was for one reason only: my brother had sent him to watch us.

I directed my words to Ichigo, keeping my eyes on the attendant, knowing my brother had eyes and ears in the room, "I believe it is time we take our leave. You said you would take me out to see Karakura. As you said yourself, it is rude to refuse the request from a guest."

Ichigo quickly caught on, his gaze following my line of sight. "Hmm," he smirked, "I believe you're right."

Roughly we both rose from the table. I smiled to the attendant as we walked past him, knowing he would immediately inform my brother we were leaving the manor.

"Miss Kuchiki, your brother has a car prepared for the two of you on your trip. Shall I inform Kuchiki - sama of your leave?" Said attendant informed me.

I shook my head. "No, thank you. Nii – sama is busy and I don't want to disturb him. We will return later."

The attendant bowed, "Hai."

Ichigo was waiting at the front door for me, his arms folded across his chest, "About time."

I threw on my cheerful façade and gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you ever so much for waiting for me, Kurosaki - kun."

His appearance became one of torture, his eyes widening and showing irritancy. He grabbed the door handle and threw the door wide opened. "Let's go."

I hid my smile from him as I walked out of the house.

There was a silver car parked out in the middle of the driveway waiting for us. My brother's attendant handed me the car keys and I gladly took them. Despite the fact that I gained an unfavorable passenger, I had just received the key to my liberation. Even Kurosaki couldn't take that fact away.

"Have a safe trip, Miss Kuchiki."

I gave a slight nod back to my brother's attendant, walking to the car. Using the automatic remote, I pushed the button to unlock the car doors.

Kurosaki walked next to me, much to my discontent on all fronts. I aimed straight for the driver side door handle when there was a slight warm flash as Ichigo's hand appeared next to mine.

"What do you think you are doing?" I asked him.

My grip on the door handle tightened in time with his as the struggle for the driver's seat began.

"Getting into the driver's seat," Ichigo responded. "I don't know what you're doing over here, Shorty. _Your_ spot is on the other side."

I waved the black and silver key in his face. "See this? I have the keys, therefore, I'm driving. She who controls the keys controls the car."

Ichigo scoffed. "The only way you're getting behind the wheel is if you're in a booster seat."

The metal of the car handle began to creak under my palm. This Orange was really starting to push his luck. Just because my delusion did not happen in reality did not mean that I could not make him submit to me in reality. I had my ways. After all, I made Renji submit and I wasn't even trying.

My grip lessened on the handle.

The memory of Renji's submission was ice cold water pouring down my back. It was the first time I had lost control of my vampire instincts. This time I had managed to stop it before it reached a high level of exposure. I had to keep myself in check. With Ichigo around that window of self-control was slowly vanishing.

My hand slid off of the handle. Kuchiki's did not submit, but we also knew to quit while we were winning.

"Since you offered to take me, you can also drive me around." I commented, tossing him the keys. "Here."

Ichigo seemed momentarily surprised by my actions, anticipating I would go on the defense.

Suspiciously, he took the key in his hand and eyed it breifly. He continued with his stunned expression as I walked around the front of the car and sat in the passenger side of the car. Seconds later he seemed to recuperate and entered the car as well. He stuck the key in the ignition and turned it on.

"So you came to your senses and realized I was right." Ichigo smirked. "Maybe there's some hope for you -"

"The only reason I'm letting you drive is because you and Renji wanted to take me. Therefore I decided you can at least be my chauffer." I retorted. There was no way in the world I was going to tell him I relinquished the keys on purpose; that would be giving him too much power.

The smirk became a scowl once more, making me smile on the inside. Score one for Kuchiki.

He pulled away from the house. We sat in silence as the house began to slowly fade from view. Neither one of us uttered a word. Once one of us opened our mouths the two of us were going to be heard all over Karakura.

We had made it to the tree I ran past when I snuck out last night when we both seemed tired of the silence.

I drummed my fingers on the armrest, my foot tapping in rhythm. I was watching the trees zoom by slowly outside the window when the beeping of buttons caught my attention.

Ichigo began to fidget with the radio, turning the knob to find a station he wanted to hear. The sun hit his hair, brightening it with the light. His orange hair glowed beautifully. It brought out his tan and caused the amber in his eyes to shine brighter, making his face attract -

I pressed my eyes closed tightly.

I should not and could not be having those types of thoughts aimed toward him. It wasn't proper on all fronts. Damn vampire hormones - making everything more intense and desirable - and human hormones - making everything more appealing and tempting.

My eyes wandered over to his hands. His hands were huge; soft on the outside, rough and callous on the inside. The more I noticed the detail of them; he suddenly became mature beyond his eighteen years.

"If I remember correctly," Ichigo stated, breaking the silence, "you haven't told me what was in it for me if I complied with your agreement."

I gave a slight nod, Kuchiki mask in place. "Very well. These are the terms. As long as we remain in our corresponding sections during the remainder of your stay, there will be minimal interaction between the two of us." With less interaction, there was an increased chance of me maintaining my control. "We will only see or interact with eachother when it is completely impossible for us to avoid one another."

Ichigo turned his face to me, his eyes darting back and forth onto the road. "I should agree with you? Because -"

I sighed. I had no idea what to offer him in exchange for his compliance.

"- I could have just told your brother where his little sister was last night and I would not have to see you at all. There would be the added bonus of getting you in trouble."

Those added years of maturity were wasted on him.

The car began to slow as Karakura began to come into view.

Closing my eyes, I tried to keep my patience. "What do you want, Kurosaki?"

"Nothing much, really." he replied. "Just one thing."

I gave a slight nod. In a diplomatic tone, I asked, "And it is?"

Kurosaki gave a dark smile. "During the remainder of my stay, you are to be nice to me."

Nice? He wanted me to be nice to him for the remainder of his visit?

"Of course, Kurosaki - kun!" I exclaimed in my sweet voice.

His eyes cut to mine, ignoring the road. "And I don't mean in that fake voice of yours."

My eyes narrowed at his condition. He was really going to make my life a nightmare. "Watch the road, not me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, turning at the light. "Like I would really look at you, a white blueberry."

My eyes were frozen wide as his words rang into my mind.

The car jerked to a halt as Ichigo parked next to the sidewalk.

"Let's do this so we can go back already." he complained, pulling the key out of the ignition. He clicked his seatbelt off, the buckle riding across his chest and into his left hand.

"White Blueberry?"

Ichigo's eyes were watching me. "What are you -"

"White blueberry?" I asked again, interrupting him. It was that one phrase. That one phrase just made me want lose it. It stirred the anger in me just hearing it. I didn't like hearing it the first time and I loathed it the second time.

"What does that even mean?" I demanded. He might have gotten away from explaining it to me the first time, but not again. It was the second time he had called me that, and I still could not figure out what that meant or where he came up with that.

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. "So that's what it takes to get you riled up? Those two words? Your brain must have the same problems as your height." he smiled coolly, "Short and underdeveloped."

Part of me faintly registered his words as my eyes began to react to the epiphany.

_Isn't that what he said in my daydream?_

I forced my eyes to return to a glare before Ichigo could register the movement. Staring at him like a deer in headlights was not how I wanted him to see me. I didn't want him to think I was looking at him, liking what I saw.

_The daydream is nothing more than a delusion. An inconceivable, unreachable delusion._

All because of the Orange at the center of it.

Kurosaki was infuriating as company. He was insensitive, bossy, rude, and barely tolerable! I would never taste his blood.

Rebuilding my resolve, I reached out and grabbed his shirt by the collar, forcing him to move closer to me until his face was just inches away from mine.

My fury was fever pitch with those two words. The reason it bothered me was Ichigo thought it was the ideal name to call me. The other part was I had no idea what that phrase was supposed to represent.

"Answer my question, Kurosaki."

Tension in the car grew as he began to smirk, ready to challenge my authority. "Alright. You want to know why I call you 'White Blueberry'?" he asked, tone dark. He turned to me, giving me his full attention. "You are a White Blueberry because you are small like a blueberry and your eyes are the same color as blueberries - purple. The white part is because you are blindingly white. Get a tan."

Small and purple like a blueberry?

Blindingly white?

Get a tan?

"That's easy for you to say, Orange!" I yelled, composure flying out of the window. "If you didn't get a tan, people would try to bite you thinking you were an actual orange! What bottle did you get that color from anyways? Did you lose a dare at one of your kiddie school parties?"

"It's all natural!" Ichigo yelled back at me, his face millimeters from mine. "'Kiddie school parties'? How old do you think I am, three? I already told you, I'm eighteen! Legal adult age!"

His voice echoed in the car.

"Your actions speak otherwise, fool!" I retorted, glaring back into his eyes. Part of me noticed the anger in his face, making him fired up like his hair. "If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one!"

"Follow your own advice, Shorty!" Ichigo exclaimed. "Otherwise, you're always going to be mistaken for a child!"

I jumped out of the car and slammed the door closed, creaking as the car rocked. Ichigo barely closed his door as I went to the front of the car. My gaze was hard on his as he leaned up against the car.

"I refuse to have this idiotic, childish conversation with you." My voice was hard, exhaling hard. I needed to put an end to this tension, every second I was with him I felt wilder than ever. "Hurry up so we can end this and get out of each other's lives."

"For once, we agree, Shortness." he smirked, kicking off the door.

I bit my lip, close to drawing blood as I tried to restrain myself from attacking him. The wind blowing from his direction didn't help either.

"So," my teeth were gritted together as I began to walk with the Orange to the side of me, two feet away, "what are we going to see fir-"

"Ichigo?"

A sharp voice rang through the air, stalling our movements.

I gave a sharp turn to my left, following the sound of the voice.

There was a slight look of shock across Ichigo's face as he gazed at the person who had spoken his name.

A girl in a gray uniform smiled at Ichigo. Her hair was black with some purple mixed into it, tied up in a ponytail with a red ribbon. She had camel colored eyes, a shade too dark to be considered yellow.

"It is you!" she exclaimed, running over to us. She wrapped her arms around Ichigo into a tight hug.

She was touching him. She had her arms around him - around Ichigo.

His eyes widened momentarily before he gave her a light squeeze. "What are you doing here? I thought you were out of town."

"I was, but my family and I came back on short notice." she responded. She noticed me standing close by and pulled away.

She had no idea how close she had been to being attacked.

"And you are?"

Ichigo seemed to remember I was there and took a step back from her. "This is Kuchiki Rukia." he introduced me.

She gave another smile, her perkiness radiating off of her, and bowed. "Hello, I'm Senna, Ichigo's girlfriend."

My heart skipped a beat.

Ichigo's... girlfriend?

* * *

**See you in January!~**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ichigo's girlfriend?

Girlfriend?

Someone who willingly agreed to go on dates with him and decided they like him enough to consider a serious relationship with him.

The Orange had a girlfriend?

I stared with wide eyes at the girl who was hugging him and pouring an adoring gaze on to him. It was a sweet moment with a bitter taste.

She gave him another squeeze when Ichigo tried to back away from the hug. He appeared flustered from all the affection he was receiving, appearing a little shocked at her action. Her smile spread further across her face as she gave him one last tug and let go.

Senna looked at me then to Ichigo and asked "Ichigo, what are the two of you doing out here?"

Ichigo's eyes shifted to me, observing my countenance. I tried to maintain my calm expression for the both of them to see.

There was an awkward vibe as Ichigo looked from me to Senna and back. It seemed he didn't know how to handle the three of us together.

He scratched his head, unsure on answering. He was acting as if he was caught red handed with his hand in the cookie jar. Senna looked at me, eyeing me suspiciously before she examined Ichigo. This situation didn't feel right.

"Just work," Ichigo finally responded, looking at me.

"Oh." She didn't believe a word he just said. Senna turned back to me. I felt the need to say something but the look she was giving me was making me uneasy.

Heat rose to the back of my neck as I tried to keep my nerves from being seen from her heavy gaze. She was attempting to intimidate me. I kept her gaze as I tried to banish the unease I was feeling.

"You're buying from Ichigo and Abarai - san?" Senna asked me, eyes were wide with curiosity.

Keeping my glare at bay from being seen by Ichigo, I shook my head. "No. My brother is."

Kurosaki's eyes narrowed at me. My cold yet polite tone echoed my brother's, seeming to have alerted Ichigo to something.

Senna took a step between him and I, partially covering him from my view. "You're a vampire hunter as well, then?"

Surprise colored Ichigo's ambers', his tall frame frozen momentarily.

I blinked at her as her words halted my thoughts. My body didn't respond to any command my mind was trying to send. She thought I was a vampire hunter?

"I mean, your brother has introduced you to it, hasn't he?" Senna continued ignorant of the stances Ichigo and I had taken. "If he's letting Ichigo hang out with you, then he has to be inducting you into the hunting world."

Nii-sama wants me to be a vampire hunter?

"Let's not talk about this, Senna," Ichigo suggested nervously. His eyes were shifting nervously as he examined the people around us to see if any overheard our conversation. This truly wasn't a conversation to be had in public. His eyes fell on me once more momentarily. "Not here."

Senna looked around at the people who were passing us by before her eyes stopped on my face. "But we're all hunters here."

'We're all hunters here'? This girl was a vampire hunter?

"Not everyone is, Senna." Ichigo firmly stated.

"But Kuchiki-san is one, right?" Senna asked me as she leaned against the car.

Ichigo turned his back to me, trying to cover me from her.

I scoffed inwardly. With the mood I was in right now, leaving his defenses down was not a wise strategy. I could jump them both and neither one could stop me.

I would definitely start with Senna.

A dark smile crossed my face. Part of me just couldn't help feeling bad.

"Senna, don't bring that subject up again." Ichigo whispered. He glanced at me over his shoulder.

I shifted my eyes to store window nearby as I pretended to take in interest in what I was seeing, trying to appear innocent of their conversation. Convinced I wasn't paying attention, he looked back at Senna.

"Rukia doesn't know and Byakuya doesn't want her to."

"Her brother doesn't want her to know?"

I already knew that. On my own account I had figured that out. Their conversation was just a waste of my time. I looked up at the sky once more, resuming from where I had left off days before. The sky was different than last time. Irritated, somehow. It must be mimicking me.

Was it moving again?

No. It irritated me, but I had gotten used to it by now.

Nii-sama, the vampire hunter?

Not completely, but was now a major source of concern.

So was it-

"Kuchiki-san will eventually, right?" Senna perkily asked Ichigo.

With my gaze still on the window, I watched her out of my peripherals.

She seemed perky, a person anyone could get along with. She had a child-like quality to her shining in her golden eyes.

Then why did part of me want to split her face in half?

"That depends on Byakuya." Ichigo replied mildly snarky.

He addressed my brother improperly, again. Looks like Byakuya will be kicking him out sooner than later.

Senna gave a court nod. "Very well, then." She gave Ichigo a thumb up. "I promise I won't bring it up again."

Ichigo's perma - scowl returned when he turned to face me. I kept my eyes serious as I tore my gaze from the window. I pretended to not notice as his eyes moved around my face. Senna gave a wave at a pair of little kids who were running by the three of us.

Awkward silence hung in the air, the tension of it weighing down on my shoulders.

Ichigo's eyes shifted between Senna and I. I felt like he was comparing the two of us side by side in his minds' eye.

My eyes lingered on Senna. Maybe his orange hair was so bright it had damaged his sight and he had trouble noticing things. Ichigo thought I was a White Blueberry? She was brighter than I was. We almost had the same build with the difference of her being a little taller than I.

The other difference was our personal status. She, a vampire hunter. I, a vampire. Despite all the training she might have her human strength was nil compared to mine, with or without weapons. Knowing the enemy's tactics was a survival strategy. Maybe I should begin to show an interest in hunting... Hunting vampire hunters.

Feeling Ichigo's eyes run over me a third time (the look in his eyes was making me uneasy), I decided to avert my full attention to Senna.

"Will you joining us, then?" I asked her cheerfully.

Kurosaki slouched forward at my question, meeting me eye to eye. Clearly, I had bothered him, making my eyes shine in joy. It showed when the corners of his mouth seemed to dip deeper.

A slight whiff of his scent clouded me again, making my mouth water.

Shut up hormones.

Ichigo dipped in closer to me with his eyes narrowed closer together. He truly had beautiful amber eyes. His eyebrows were even the same shade of orange as his hair.

My lips curved into a smile, laughing inwardly.

His eyes popped back to their normal size, taken back by my response. He blinked at me a few times, eyes showing his brain had shut down and he was trying to reactivate it. A faint red covered his cheeks as he looked me right in the eyes.

It was oddly relaxing, his amber eyes coated by his orange eyebrows. A day at the beach, the warmth of the sun hitting hot but gentle.

"Of course, Kuchiki-san!" Senna exclaimed clapping her hands together as her voice increased an octave, louder and perkier than before.

His brain seemed to react to her voice and Ichigo went back to his full height. I looked back at Senna, angry at her for ruining my sunny beach day.

Ichigo scoffed like nothing had happened. "Alright then," he spoke seriously, "let's g-"

A sharp ringing cut him off.

"That's me." Senna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small red cellphone. She gazed across the screen momentarily. She slid the keypad out and began typing before she closed it again.

There was a slight pause as she looked at me, waiting for me to look her right in the eyes. I skimmed over her figure before I did. I was right. She was only four inches taller than I was. Her eyes changed slightly, upper tone still cheerful as the under tone became menacing. She gave me a small glare.

"Where will we go first?" Her voice matched the fight in her eyes.

I gave her a light nod. "Wherever you see fit." _But I know the perfect place for you to go to._

She turned to face Ichigo and gripped his arm, leaning upward and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

To any ordinary person, it could be perceived as a normal interaction. But the second she looked at me when she began to pull away, I knew she was declaring Ichigo as her property. "It's your decision, Ichigo."

He closed his eyes, Senna's actions never fazing him.

"Fine, let's go already." Ichigo confirmed indifferently as he started walking, oblivious to the exchange Senna and I were having.

Giving me another 'smile', Senna turned and skipped away next to Ichigo.

That Senna girl was going to be a big problem.

I kept my eyes on her as she began to talk to him. So this was Ichigo's girlfriend.

Should I be worried it bothered me - that discovering a key detail in the life of someone I didn't even really know was disturbing me profusely? There was no reason behind my thoughts. Ichigo was just some person doing business with my brother. In a short amount of time, Kurosaki and Renji would be gone and I would never have to deal with either of them.

Renji and Ichigo would be gone.

I sighed. What an odd feeling. I felt torn in two. Some part of me was glad he was leaving. The other…

Empty.

My hand touched my cheek with light plop.

It was completely useless for me to have those types of feelings. Everyone around me would fade away to ash, nothing but a distant memory. I would remain the same age. The same age I was when I met -

"Are you listening?"

Lost in my thoughts, Ichigo's voice barely registered when I looked up to face him.

His orange head was tilted to the side as his eyes narrowed, showing his irritancy.

"Did you say something?" I asked covering my sincerity with mockery.

His scowl deepened and I smiled inwardly.

Ichigo's hand ran through his orange mane, making the tips spike up more.

"So where are we going?" I asked, pretending to care.

"Karakura Cafe," Senna responded at the same time as Ichigo.

Senna gasped and smiled. "Jinx!" she cooed at Ichigo, pulling him in closer.

I coughed slightly, trying not to gag. What the two of them decided to do as a couple was none of my concern - just as long as I didn't witness it.

Ichigo stepped out of Senna's grasp, embarrassment on his face. Senna frowned, her disappointment aimed at him.

He pulled on the door closest to him and motioned us inside. "Hurry up already. The sooner we're in, the sooner we get to leave."

Passing by him, I mumbled, "Finally you start making sense. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Quiet you!" he protested as Senna stepped inside before he did the same.

I walked to the table closest to the front and sat in one of the four chairs. Senna blocked my view of the street as she sat across from me, resting her arms across the table. I raised an eyebrow at her as she leaned forward on her arms, keeping her glare solely on me. I narrowed my eyes at her as I sat up straight in my chair.

Simultaneously, we turned to Ichigo.

He was looking over at the service counter when he felt our eyes on him and turned to us. Nervousness crossed his face, as he looked at the two of us.

"I'll go order," he told us, leaving quickly.

I made sure he was standing in the long line before I averted my eyes to my other companion.

She gave me a smile, her hospitality feigning. "What have you seen so far?"

"Nothing we were barely starting when you came," I scoffed.

"Oh." Senna gave a little nod, grinding her jaw.

We sat in silence, tension thick in the air.

Senna was the first to snap.

Both of her palms hit the edge of the table, her happy temperament falling.

Arching my eyebrow, a smug smirk colored my features.

"You," Senna growled.

"Yes?" I asked in passive tone.

"Don't play coy," she said sternly. "I know exactly what you're doing."

"I was not doing anything." I retorted coolly. "I am merely here, accompanying Ichigo on a tour of Karakura town _he_ decided to take me on."

"Cut the crap," Senna slammed her palms on to the table, the sound muted to others by the buzz around us. "Stay. Far away. From Ichigo."

Chuckling, I gave another look back at the line. Ichigo had moved up to the front now, taking a step forward to the counter as the person before him left with their order in hand.

"You're his _girlfriend_," I spat the word bitterly. What Ichigo saw in her was beyond me. "Not his keeper."

Shaking her head profusely, she spoke in a livid tone, "Just back off."

I thought she had finally shut up when there was a pause, but after taking in a deep breath, Senna continued.

"Stay away -"

She was really going to tell me what to do.

"- and leave Ichigo and I alone - "

Like I -

"- you -"

- was a -

"- home wrecker."

Silence fell as the word echoed in the air before us.

Anger boiled in my veins and I finally snapped.

"But I'm not even after him." I could feel my dominant side ready to kick her butt, to make her pay for accusing me of something I would never commit. No one tarnished the Kuchiki name with false accusations. Those who did would pay.

And they would pay with blood.

"You must have trust issues with Ichigo if you think he would leave you in a snap." I snapped my fingers for emphasis. "You must have horrible self-esteem if you are feeling threatened by me when I haven't even done anything to make you think otherwise. If you really wanted to keep him by your side you should know that no guy likes it when their girlfriend acts in that form of manner. So insecure of yourself you feel anyone could take him from you, you are the epitome of sad and pathetic."

Fire lit Senna's eyes, her posture becoming stone. Incomprehensible sounds came out of her mouth as she tried to speak, trying to wrap her head around my words.

Score one for Kuchiki.

Her chair toppled over loudly as it fell while she half-crawled across the table, ready to attack me. "Shut up, you b-"

"Senna, what do you think you're doing!"

A shadow loomed over the both of us as we looked up to see who it was.

Ichigo had one plate in his left and another in his right hand with one balancing on his right forearm, the three piled with sweets. Wide were his eyes as he examined our current stances.

Senna - practically on the table, a ferocious lion ready to attack with her hand out to hit me.

I – sitting calmly, a blissful bunny wandering about 'defenseless'.

Her golden eyes widened as she quickly got off the table and stood with straight posture. Her pulse sped up nervously, her eyes shifting as she tried to think of an excuse why she had taken those actions. Senna looked at me, her eyes almost pleading for my help. I, for one, wasn't going to aid her.

I was going to do exactly what she asked of me and leave her and Ichigo alone in their relationship.

For now.

I had to have some form of entertainment and if Senna's anger was any indication, I might actually stick around Karakura longer.

"Err. Uh," Senna stuttered. "You see…"

Ichigo set one plate down in front of Senna and the other in front of me before he walked to my right and sat, continuing to glare at the two of us.

"I was just swatting away a fly," Senna lamely concluded. "That's all. Right, Kuchiki-san?" she asked sweetly.

Ichigo looked over at me and I shrugged indifferently. No wonder Senna was so insecure; she lied right to Ichigo's face.

And poor little Ichigo didn't even seem to notice.

"Rukia?" Ichigo asked, wanting to confirm Senna's lie.

A brief glance at Senna showed me her enraged eyes, fuming because Ichigo had called me by my first name.

I didn't want to get involved in one of their relationship disputes, I really didn't. It wasn't my place to comment. But if I didn't tell Ichigo the truth, I would be breaking my own morale. The one thing I hated more than vampire hunters were people lying in relationships. If I called out Senna on her lie, I would have involved myself in the relationship, possibly ending it. If I agreed, I would be contributing to the lie and have gone against my own morals.

"Well-"

"Don't you believe me, Ichi-kun?" she asked sweetly, interrupting me.

Ichigo's eyes remained focused on her, contemplating the question.

"Of-"

"Here's the strawberry cheesecake slice you ordered, Ichi-nii."

Ichi-nii?

A young girl stood before us in a frilly blue uniform with a plate in her hands. She had light auburn hair and grayish eyes. She had a bright smile on her face, beaming at her brother.

"Oh. Thanks, Yuzu." Ichigo replied, taking the plate from his sister.

"Hi, Yuzu," Senna cooed, patting the girl on the head.

Yuzu gave her a frown, seeming out of place on her cheerful face. "Hello, Kieta-san."

Senna frowned. "Yuzu-chan, we've known each other long enough by now for you to call me by my given name."

Yuzu sighed. It seemed like they had already had this discussion several times, with Yuzu unwilling to concede.

Her eyes lit up again when she looked over and spotted me. She gave me a bow. "Hello. I'm Kurosaki Yuzu, Ichigo's little sister."

I inclined my head. "Kuchiki Rukia. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Yuzu gave me a bright smile. "So you're the girl Ichi-nii is showing around."

I nodded my head. She had no idea how grateful I was for saving me from answering Ichigo's question. "Yes, I am."

Yuzu sat next to Senna. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her head in the palms of her hands. There was a dreamy quality in her eyes.

Ichigo watched his sister, looking a little surprised. "Um, Yuzu-"

"So, what did you think of the sweets?" she asked.

I looked down at my tray, still filled with some pastries. I reached for one of the forks and cut off a piece of one, a chunk of apple covering the fork. I gave a deep breath and took the bite.

I could taste some of the chemicals from the batter float around my taste buds, the natural sugar of the apple coated by the added artificial sugar. The bread flakes were a little rough in contrast to the smooth apple piece.

"It's really delicious!" I exclaimed.

"You really think so?" Happiness shone through her eyes, reflecting the cheer of a child. When I nodded, she continued, "How great! I try to make them at home all the time, but Ichi-nii, Karin-chan, and Tou-san aren't much help. They don't really like to comment on my food."

"That's because we're too busy trying to eat it," Ichigo commented, taking a bite of his pastry.

"I didn't know you knew how to cook or make pastries." Senna took a bite of one, blinking innocently.

Yuzu looked at Senna with a pout on her lips. "You eat my cooking every time you come to our house; you should have already known the taste of my pastries by now."

Senna gave a slight nod, embarrassed.

It seemed like Senna had no interest in Yuzu, and Yuzu didn't like her in return - showing it subtly.

"Ichi, let's go get one of those chocolates!" Senna exclaimed, pulling Ichigo out of his chair.

"Now?" Ichigo asked, holding on to the table as he resisted Senna's pull.

"Yes, now!"

She succeeded in yanking him right out of his seat and pulling him back to the line of long people as the cafe became more crowded.

Yuzu sighed.

"Is anything troubling you, Kurosaki-san?" I asked as I cut into my pastry again.

She gave me a smile as I bought the piece to my mouth.

"What Ichi-nii needs is someone like you."

I froze with my mouth opened in mid bite, the piece on my fork falling onto my plate.

"E- Excuse me?" I asked, shocked with Yuzu's words.

"Senna doesn't take an interest in our family, let alone him." Yuzu reached over and took a cookie off of Ichigo's plate. "He's like a boyfriend trophy."

I shifted my eyes to the line, Ichigo seemingly irritated from Senna talking. He looked like he would rather have a root canal.

"But you seem nice." She looked at me with wide eyes. "Hopefully, he'll come to his sen-"

"I FORGOT!"

Yuzu and I turned to the sound, recognizing it to be Senna.

"I promised my parents I would be home in ten minutes!" She reached up and gave Ichigo a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later?" she asked, walking away.

"Later," he waved through the glass as he sat back down next to me, resting his arm on the top of my chair.

Senna threw me a glare from outside, the desire to murder me in her eyes.

Ignoring it, I looked back to Yuzu. As far as sisters went, she seemed to be the sweetest one around.

Yuzu sighed, relieved Senna had left.

"Is Ms. Orikasa giving you too much work?" Ichigo asked, interpreting her sigh as one of stress.

"Course not, Ichi-nii." Yuzu took another one of his cookies. "Just because I'm in middle school it doesn't mean I can't work here too, you know."

Ichigo scowled, taking a bit of his pastry. "You shouldn't have to work."

Yuzu pressed her lips together. "It's not like I'm spending every waking moment at work like you are. You should come home every once in a while. Tou-san kept us up all night last night. He screamed that he'll disown you unless you come back with his grandchildren."

Ichigo pounded his chest, trying to dislodge the cookie now caught in his throat.

"So, Ruki-nee," Yuzu turned to me, leaving Ichigo to his own demise. "Has Ichi-nii been a good tour guide?"

I looked over at him, smiling as he gasped for breath. "He's alright."

Yuzu smiled. "Good, otherwise Tou-chan would be disappointed in him."

"Break's over, Kurosaki!"

Yuzu looked over my shoulder and looked back to Ichigo and myself. "Well, I got to get back to work." She got up and gave Ichigo a hug. "Please, come at least once. Tou-san will keep us up all night again if you don't."

Letting go, she reached over and gave me a hug. "It was nice to meet you, Ruki-nee."

I squeezed her shoulder, wrapping my other arm around her. "You too, Kurosaki-san."

"Call me Yuzu," she whispered, letting me go.

"Hai, Yuzu-chan." I smiled softly.

She shot me a smile and walked back to the counter.

"Your little sister's cute." I told Ichigo with the smile still on my face.

His face became a little flushed, taken back.

"You don't want her to work?" I asked, diverting back to my tray.

"She's too young." Ichigo mused. "Yuzu has two adults to take care of her; she doesn't need to work."

"I hope you're not referring to yourself," I commented as I finished off my last sweet. "Then it would make sense for her to work."

He kicked his chair back and rose. "Are you ready to leave yet?"

I got up and looked at him as I walked to the door. "Ready whenever you are, Orange."

"Shut it, Shorty." he retorted as he reached past me and opened the door.

I stepped out first as Ichigo let the door shut behind him.

I looked out at the street. "So where are we going next?"

"A small shop in the center of Karakura." he replied.

Kurosaki walked in front of me as we headed to the car.

I kept my eyes on the street as I followed, wanting to take in as much as possible when a set of green eyes and black hair caught my attention.

Green eyes met my violet ones and smiled, remembering my own.

The last time I had seen him, was after the accident. I had spent a year after the accident looking for him with no results. After two long years, I had finally found him.

He was here. He was here in Karakura.

And there he was, watching me on the other side of the street.

"K- Kaien-dono!"

* * *

**PL333: **I'm back again!

Hope everyone had a nice 2013!

Much love: amichalap, OptimisticQueenRandom, ichigo urahara Shihoin, demonweasel1, and Yahtzey (you know why).

Next chapter (the _sixth_ chapter), Kaien-dono!


	6. Chapter 6

**PL333:**

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the wait.

I was busy writing the sort-of-sequel to Unspoken Rule. Please read it if you get a chance.

Thank you to: Falabella3, Rukia Heart, Queen of Tartarus, whatnameisthis, famartin, monster in pocket, mistdreams, lorenlight, Kireina-Ame, Neliayui, and .

Here's Chapter Six!

* * *

Chapter Six

There he was, standing in the middle of the street, with his sea green eyes staring right at me.

"K- Kaien-dono!"

He gave me one of his warm smiles, hearing me through all the noise.

I can't believe he's here. After such a long time, he was here.

"Rukia," Ichigo squeezed my right shoulder.

My eyes lingered on Kaien before I answered Ichigo, "Yes, Orange?"

I was taken aback by the lack of irritation, a look of concern on Ichigo's face making me feel bad for trying to pick on him.

"Don't just stand there," he chided, pulling my arm in the direction of the car. "I thought you would want to go to the shop already."

"Of course I do," I commented, looking back in Kaien's direction. "But K-"

"What?" he paused his movement. Ichigo shook me slightly when I didn't answer.

Gone; Kaien-dono was gone. I kept on staring at the spot he was in, now filled with air as people walked by.

"Where did he go?"

"Where did who go?" Ichigo asked, looking where I was.

Kaien-dono disappeared. He was right there just a few seconds ago.

"He's gone," I spoke crest-fallen.

"Who's gone?" Ichigo asked.

I stared at the spot he was for just a moment longer. I wasn't imagining things. Kaien was here. Why did he leave so suddenly? Was he not happy to see me like I was to see him?

"Rukia, for the last time, who are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, shaking me.

Reacting, I shook my head, "N- No one. It's nothing. Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

The last thing I needed was for Ichigo to see Kaien. Nii-sama did not like Kaien one bit. Nii-sama would have me supervised at all times; knowing Kaien would find a way to see me. In my brother's eyes, it was his entire fault. It was Kaien's fault that I was in the accident and Nee-sama...

No. This wasn't the time to think about this.

But I had to see him. There were so many things we had to discuss. I still needed Kaien's point of view.

"Are you going to get into the car or not?"

Ichigo's grouchy voice snapped me out of my daze as I noticed that I was now standing in front of the passenger side with the window rolled down, the car humming. Ichigo's eyebrows were pressed together as he saw me step into the car.

Buckling my seat belt, he pulled the car away from the curb.

His eyes were on the road, dashing at me every other second.

"Do you mind," I spoke gravely, "if we skip the rest of the sight-seeing for now?"

The car jumped into a stop.

I expected him to look at me with angry eyes, but instead he had a passive look on his face with a look of concern in his eyes

"I thought it was against Kuchiki etiquette to refuse the request of a guest," he smirked.

I felt my eye twitch as I tried to reign in my anger, "Shut it and drive, Kurosaki."

Kurosaki scoffed, "Like you're in any place to tell me what to do, Shorty."

I gave him a semi-playful punch on the shoulder. "You take that back!"

"If I said otherwise I'd be lying!" he retorted back as he accelerated the car.

"Shut it, Bakamono!" I yelled back.

"Bakamono?" he yelled back, car screeching to a stop. "Who are you calling a Bakamono?"

I leaned closer to him, his hands tight on the wheel. "If the orange hair fits, wear it."

"At least that's better than being short! Blueberry!"

"Orange!" I screeched back.

Ichigo stripped his seatbelt off, getting right in my face. "Blueberry."

"Bakamono," I hissed back, trying not to inhale his sweet scent.

"Shorty."

"ORANGE."

He folded his arms, "SHORTY."

His breath hit my face as he was the only thing close to cover anything else in my eye sight. I could smell him again, his heart racing. Crap. Now was not the time to be thirsty.

_Honk!_

Ichigo and I jerked back into our seats, the light now green.

He stepped on the gas as he clipped his belt back on.

!#*!#*!#*!#*!#*

"You're back!" Renji exclaimed as the car pulled into the mansion grounds. "How was it? Did you enjoy Karakura?"

I nodded as I stepped out with a smile on my face and Ichigo shut the door forcefully. I didn't really have enough energy to muster up the enthusiasm Renji had, "It was fun."

"Did he take you to meet his little sister?" Renji continued to ask. "If he didn't then you didn't go to the pastry place."

"'Course I took her!" Ichigo exclaimed. "I told you I would, didn't I?"

Renji cringed slightly. "What has you on edge?"

Ichigo's scowled deepened, "Nothing."

Renji looked at me. I kept my eyes firmly planted in the space between the two. Ichigo moved his eyes in my direction.

I knew the reason why Ichigo was

Their gazes were too heavy for me to want to be around.

I turned, leaving the two of them there and went inside my house.

"Rukia-sama, Kuchiki-sama requests your presence at once."

I nodded, hearing Renji and Ichigo beginning to argue with one another as they began to enter, "In his office?"

Seeing their nod followed by an inclined head, they motioned me into my brothers' office.

I walked into the hall - where Ichigo and Renji's were starting to gradually increase - and knocked on my brother's door.

I heard the slight shuffle of paper and a sigh coming from Byakuya. He sounded bothered. And I knew it wasn't from the work around him; it was from him having to deal with me. That's why he always wanted me to meet him where he conducted his business; I was nothing more than a burden and a chore to him.

I should have been the one to die, not Nee-sama.

"Enter," Byakuya's voice finally rang.

"You called for me, Brother?" I asked, pushing the door open slightly.

"Have a seat," he called.

I made sure the door closed quietly before I sat down and looked at him. He was looking down at some papers on his desk.

Nii-sama kept his eyes glued away from me. When he finally did look up, he didn't actually look at me. As usually, he looked right at the space above my head.

Byakuya never could look me in the eyes.

While I was always glad he adopted me after Nee-chan's death, it would have been better for the both of us if he just let me go.

"Tomorrow, I want you to be up and ready by ten in the morning," he spoke to the air above my head.

"Yes, Nii-sama," I spoke softly.

"Kurosaki Ichigo will be waiting for you promptly," my brother continued.

I remained passive though I was taken back.

Ichigo and I, alone in the forest.

Together.

"The two of you will be meeting at the same time daily until I determine you are properly taught," Byakuya finished.

"Taught what, Nii-sama?"

His gazed was fixated on the space above my head. "Self-defense."

Nii-sama wanted me to begin self-defense training.

"Be ready tomorrow." Nii-sama resumed looking over his papers on his desk, "Dismissed."

Hastily rising, I bowed and half-ran out the door.

Tomorrow, I was to begin self-defense training with Ichigo. I knew how to defend myself better than any other woman in the world. It almost made me want to laugh. For a moment, I thought he was going to say I was to begin vampire training.

Padding through the house, I heard Ichigo and Renji continuing to have their 'discussion', but decided to avoid them all together.

There were more pressing issues at hand than dealing with those two.

Kaien was in Karakura. He saw me in the street with Ichigo. Kurosaki's hunting skills couldn't be at such an impressive level if he didn't notice Kaien.

Then again, Kaien was the king of evasiveness.

My steps were quick on the stairs as I went into my room. The door was half opened when an intruding scent invaded my senses - and my room.

Who was in here?

I shut the door with a little too much force, the wall shaking.

The scent wasn't human.

"Kaien," I pieced together.

He was in my room.

My bed was where his scent was the most concentrated. Walking over I saw a dark magenta sticky note on top of my pillow.

Kaien.

Sitting on my bed, I pulled the note up.

_Rukia,_

_There's a coffee shop similar to the one where we met. The address is on another piece of paper inside your pillow._

_We have a lot to catch up on._

_See you at eleven_

_- Kaien_

Reaching into my pillow I pulled another sticky note with the address.

I had to see him. Questions needed answers and he was the one who had them.

!#*!#*!#*!#*!#*

Another night of sneaking out hadn't been so easy this time. There was an extra two vampire hunters I had to worry about - I had to play it like a human. I couldn't run as fast as I usually could or escape by jumping out the window and landing soft as a feather. I had to climb out by tying my bed sheets together and pretending to be out of breath as I ran.

I sat at one of the tables in a far corner of the coffee shop.

According to the clock there were fifteen minutes left to eleven.

Venting my anxiety, I shook my drink as the ice crashed back and forth. When was he going to arrive?

My foot tapped the floor in quick, even paces.

I was so happy to see him again. Kaien was such a huge part of my life. He symbolized the beginning and ending of a significant part of my life. He contributed to the uncertainty of my future.

"Where are you?" I mumbled.

Kaien-dono was always late. I would always tell him that he should be first to arrive since he was the one who would arrange our meetings.

I gave my reflection on the table a sad smile.

I missed those days. Those days when Nee-chan was alive and Kaien-dono would come around the old Kuchiki mansion. He was the only male company Nii-sama would let me have since Kaien, too, was a noble.

"Miss."

I jolted slightly in the chair as I looked at the barista. She had another of my preferred caffeine choice in hand.

"This was ordered for you," the barista continued.

"But I didn't order another drink," I shook my head.

She smiled. "The gentleman at the table sent this to you."

She pointed to the table at the far corner. His green eyes lit up with a smile.

Kaien rose out of his chair and walked. The barista was barely there to me as I saw him trot over.

He gave me another one of his smiles as he sat down.

"Kaien-dono," I murmured.

"Kuchiki." he said.

"H-How have you been?" I asked.

The smile fell slightly. "It's been better."

"It has," I agreed with a sad smile.

"Kuchiki," Kaien leaned forward in his chair, "why are you here in Karakura?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Kaien-dono."

"I asked you first," he teased.

"Nii-sama wanted to move," I took another sip of my coffee, "again."

"Again?" Kaien's eyebrows burrowed together, "Is Byakuya being paranoid the reason why?"

"Nii-sama is not paranoid," I defended. "He just likes to change locations."

Kaien raised an eyebrow. "Since when? The Byakuya I know doesn't like anything spontaneous that disrupts his schedule - his precise, punctual, perfect schedule."

I thought back to the trunk full of vampire hunting equipment. "His priorities have changed."

"Preserving the honor of the Kuchiki clan isn't his top priority?" Kaien looked shocked.

I looked at him with a stern expression. "Of course it is! He just executes it in a different manner," I paused making sure I had his attention, "Nii-sama hunts vampires."

All facial expression vanished from his face. His eyes were blank as he processed my words.

"Byakuya hunts vampires?"

"Hai," I confirmed, sad as the realization finally began to sink in.

Despite his cold, icy personality, Byakuya was my brother- my family. Though I was disposable to him, Nii-sama wasn't to me. He and Nee-chan were all I had.

I already lost Nee-sama.

Now I'd lose Nii-sama.

"Rukia."

Looking back up at Kaien, I forced a smile. "Yes."

Frowning he spoke, "Does he know or suspect you're one as well?"

I shook my head. "It's easier for me to blend in, remember?"

"Right," he acknowledged. "I forgot."

There was a moment of silence as I looked away from him. "But it doesn't mean that he won't find out."

Kaien appeared confused at my question. "Why do you say that?"

"He's my brother, Kaien-dono," I sighed. "Do you really think he would hesitate to take me out if he knew? The Kuchiki pride is first, everything else is an incomparable second."

He mulled over my words, not wanting to admit that I was right.

"I'll have to leave soon," I told him. "It won't be safe for me to stay another ten years."

Kaien looked at me with thoughtful eyes. "You resigned yourself to leaving the Kuchiki family?"

I nodded. "It can't be that difficult. It shouldn't be."

"Kuchiki," Kaien reached over and placed his hand on my arm in comfort.

Masking my emotion, I tried to smile. I wasn't one for letting people in. The less emotions I felt, the less of a chance there was of getting hurt.

"Was it this hard when you left your siblings?" I whispered softly.

Kaien's expression became thoughtful as he contemplated my question.

Of course it would be difficult if he left his family. "Never mind."

They were warm, open, caring and loving - the true essence of a family.

"You don't have to answer that."

Everything I wanted he had to leave behind.

"I know what the obvious answer is."

It would be better that I didn't have any personal attachments.

"I'm sorry, Kaien-dono."

There would be less pain for me. Kaien had a family and he had to give it up.

"That was a very insensitive question for me to ask."

Looks like I was a lucky one after all.

He scoffed and smiled brightly. "Forget it, Kuchiki. That's in the past."

We sat in comfortable silence after that. Just like old times; old, good times.

"Excuse me," the barista from before stood next to us, "but we're closing in ten minutes."

"Already?" I asked, looking for my phone to check the time. One A.M.

"Of course!" Kaien exclaimed, springing out of his chair. "Let's go, Rukia!"

I got out of my chair and followed Kaien out the door. Outside, he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and looked up at the moon.

"Kaien-dono." I spoke hesitantly, not wanting to break him out of his concentration.

He glanced at me. "You have to go?"

I nodded meekly. "Nii-sama doesn't know I'm out here."

"I thought so," Kaien commented. "If he did you'd have an escort."

"I'm sorry, Kaien-dono." I bowed. "I must go."

He ruffled my hair as I stood up straight. "It's fine, Kuchiki. I'll find you later."

I nodded. "Hai. Kaien-dono?"

"Yes, Kuchiki?"

I closed my hand into a fist, trying to hide my nerves. "Can I talk to you later? …About that day?"

Kaien looked right into my eyes, knowing what day I was talking about. He nodded.

"Yeah, we can talk about it."

"Thank you. Good-night, Kaien-dono."

He waved to me as I turned to walk away, "Good-night, Kuchiki."

It felt a little bittersweet to leave him. But I didn't want to risk Nii-sama finding out. Kaien was number one on his hit list.

I turned a corner and I instantly smelled warm blood. And not a little bit, paper cut way. It smelled more like a blood shower.

I picked up the pace and ran towards the end of the street.

Laying at the end of the street was a male body covered in a pool of blood.

"That was brutal, Renji."

Renji?

I took a few quick steps back and hid behind some tin trash cans.

Renji walked next to the body, his weapon concealed by the front of his body. A smaller figure stood next to him.

Senna was tying up her hair with a red ribbon as she examined the body.

"Yeah, well, we had to take care of this vampire and we did," Renji commented.

She crouched down and tsked. "You're never this brutal when Ichigo's around."

"You know Ichigo. He's more merciful than the rest of us." Renji reminded her.

"True." Senna agreed. "He would never had let us finish this vampire off by cutting it piece by piece. He would want us to be swift and put it out of its misery in an instant."

Renji scratched the back of his head. "Whatever. It's getting late. I'll take you home."

"'Kay!" Senna jumped up and hummed as she began to walk away with Renji trailing behind her.

Once they were out of my eye range, I gave a quick glance at the body that was almost in pieces. He had a pair of sunglasses on with his torso exposed. The vital vein in his neck was cut, his head detached from his body.

I closed my eyes in remorse from the sight in front of me.

If I didn't get home soon, I'd be next.

Running made it easy for me to get home in a few minutes. Going in a car would have taken longer than the time it took me.

I ran up to my window only to find the wind had closed it tight.

I growled at it and jumped back onto the plush grass and up to the front door. Everyone should still be asleep at this time of night. I grabbed the key in my pocket and slid it into the lock, opening the door softly. I got in and locked the door back.

I turned and walked up the stairs.

Phew. Safe and sou-

"It's not safe for you to be out this late."

My eyes shifted to the stop of the stairs where his voice came from-

He had his arms folded with a scowl of anger on his face with the aura around him screaming of danger, the fury in his eyes confirming it.

-Where Ichigo stood.


End file.
